Tanzania: Nyamirembe Port in Chato Now Ready for Use

By Abela Msikula, Mwanza

THE newly rehabilitated Chato-based Nyamirembe Port is ready for use since last week, with Tanzania Authority Port (TPA) Lake Zone Manager, Doreen Minja inviting potential investors to utilise the

opportunity.

She told 'Daily News' on Monday that Nyamirembe would provide room for both small and large-scale investors, following its big space to accommodate not less than six boats, with the capacity to ferry 50 passengers each and one big ship with the capacity of 200 carrying passengers at a time.

"Nyamirembe is part of a 11bn/- port rehabilitation and construction project in the Lake Zone, the money released by the government in the last fiscal year.

"However, Nyamirembe was one and only port that underwent rehabilitation. Others, namely, Magarini, Lushamba, Mtama, Kyamkwikwi and Bwigobolo are new," she said.

She further clarified that port rehabilitation and construction was to ensure economic opportunities in the Lake Zone were well-utilised and there were reliable transport means and interactions of people and goods.

However, she declined to expose how much was available from the rehabilitated and newly constructed ports under the ground that she wasn't the right person to talk on behalf of TPA.

"Remember, the revenue involves figures of which only experts and authorised persons should speak on it. Again, the ports are still new, meaning the revenue is also yet to be collected, but at least TPA in the Lake Zone no longer depends on the head office," she said.

Lake Zone Ports Engineer Khamis Mohamed commented the over 11bn/- worth TPA rehabilitation and construction project was 100 per cent complete, adding that it involved mostly the construction of the modern baths, passenger lounges, public/passengers' toilets, as well as modernisation of office buildings and other infrastructures, among other activities.

"The project got over within the targeted time frame -2019/20. We look forward to going for phase two of the project in this fiscal year set to take off soon," he said.

Speaking on how Marine Services Company Limited (MSCL) was prepared to utilise the opportunity at the newly rehabilitated port, the company's acting marketing and commercial manager, Mr Philemon Bagambilana said that:

"Already MSCL has prepared the new route for Nyamirembe Port, using MV Clarias, which has the capacity to ferry about 216 passengers and 10 tonnes of cargo."

The new route is set to start in March, this year, according to Mr Bagambilana. "We will quench the citizens' thirst as we recently conducted a survey and came across to what extent people in islands were in need of transport services.

MV Clarias is currently undergoing maintenance, including installation of the new machinery, as among the preparations for this new route."