PLANS are afoot to procure six state-ofthe- art gantry scanners for installation at major ports to curb tax evasions and smuggling.
Works, Transport and Communications
Minister, Prof Makame Mbarawa, launching two modern mobile container
systems worth over 20bn/- at the Dar es Salaam port yesterday, said:
“Our plan is to procure six additional scanners ... they will be fixed
at all major ports, including Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Mwanza and Kigoma.
” Prof Mbarawa added that the equipment
will play a critical role in enhancing efficiency and checking tax
evasions at the ports.
The container inspection system, which
was installed through a Chinese government grant, has the capacity of
scanning 15 containers per hour, translating into 600 containers, daily,
the rate, which according to port officials, is far above the
off-loading capacity at the port.
Two scanners have been installed at Dar
es Salaam port and one at Tanga seaport. The minister warned operators
of the machinery against dishonesty, urging them to work diligently for
the equipment to yield the required results.
“The management should sack any operator found to be engaged in cheating,” he stressed.
Prof Mbarawa on the other hand said the
government was finalising discussions with the World Bank to get loans
for expansion and modernisation of the Dar es Salaam port.
The Chinese Ambassador in Tanzania, Dr
Lu Youguing, speaking at the occasion, appreciated the significance of
the Dar es Salaam port in the East, Central and Southern Africa regions.
“The port is even more important at this
time investors from China and other countries are showing interests to
invest in Tanzania,” he noted.
The Chinese envoy was confident that the
new equipment will play a critical role to rein in on illicit
substances and government trophies.
Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Board
Chairman, Prof Ignas Rubaratuka, informed the minister that a total of
560 million US dollars (over 1tri/-) will be required for expansion,
dredging and construction of berths 13 and 14 at the port.
“The funds will be raised through loans
and contributions from the government and development partners. Some of
the projects will be undertaken through public-private partnership
arrangement,” he explained.
TPA Director General, Engineer Deusdedit
Kakoko, said the process to instal the equipment started way back in
2013 after which assembling was completed last December for the Dar port
and January, this year at Tanga seaport.
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