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The Director General for Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Plasduce Mbossa, has confirmed that construction will soon begin on the Mbamba-Bay Port. 

The port of Mbamba is located on Lake Nyasa in the Ruvuma Region of Tanzania. It is a border crossing point with Malawi. The port project is a development plan to improve transportation infrastructure in that region of Tanzania to boost economic growth. 

“TPA is aware of the importance of Mbamba Bay Port, and for that matter, we are committed to implementing the plan towards opening up the Mtwara Corridor and Mtwara Port,” said Mbossa.

The announcement follows concerns expressed by Humphrey Polepole, Tanzania’s Ambassador to Malawi, that constructing the Mbamba Port was necessary to open the Mtwara Corridor to boost economic activity in Mtwara and Ruvuma regions. 

The Mtwara Corridor is a network of road, railway, and water access from the surrounding regions to the Port of Mtwara. These areas include Southern Tanzania, Northern Mozambique, and Eastern Zambia.

#TANZANIA: The construction of the new berth at the Mtwara port has been completed

The new 300m berth has the capacity to accommodate mega cargo ships weighing up to 65,000tonnes

The upgrade will enhance the Mtwara Development corridor which links the Mtwara & Mbamba Bay Ports. pic.twitter.com/RpUQUxV2dF

— Tanzania Updates (@TanzaniaUpdates) November 18, 2021

“We should not be proud that Mtwara Port is upgraded while Mbamba-Bay, which is the second point for transporting cargo from Mtwara Port, is not functioning,” said Polepole. 

He said Mtwara Port is not tapping into business opportunities in Malawi because of a lack of access to water transport at Mbamba Bay Port. He expects the new port to handle cargo ships heading to Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique. 
 
Godfrey Kasekenya, the Deputy Minister for Works and Transport, said, “The 2021/2022 to 2025/2026 strategy will involve upgrading the port’s berths, among others. Ports under the upgrading program included Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, and Tanga, all located along the Indian Ocean. Upgrading the ports will go in tandem with the procurement of port facilities, including mobile harbor cranes, terminal tractors, and ship-to-shore gantry cranes to attract users. TPA is promoting Mtwara port in order to attract markets from the Mtwara Development Corridor that attracts five countries of Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Comoro, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

The government in Mtwara Region has also developed a strategic plan to attract foreign and local business opportunities through Mtwara Port to promote economic growth in the region.

Top Photo: Carrier and Container Vessels docked at the Port of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Druid007 | Dreamstime)