Shift evident from southern ports to Dar

In Zambia, everyone is
talking about a shift in
freight patterns away from
southern ports to Dar es
Salaam – and figures released
by the Tanzania International
Container Terminal Services
(TICTS) show to what extent
this is happening.
TICTS says it plans to move
373 000 TEUs this year –
10% more than the 337 547
in 2010. This, in turn, was
higher than the 325 557 TEUs
handled in 2009.
TICTS chief executive
officer Neville Bisset
reportedly told government
officials earlier this year
that the company would be
investing in additional cargo
handling equipment and
installing a new operating
system in order to cope with
congestion.
Dar es Salaam port has
the capacity to handle
3.1 million tons of general
cargo, in addition to
containers.
In March, Tanzanian
president Jakaya Kikwete
vetoed plans by TICTS to
build a multi-storey car park
to store imported second-hand
vehicles.
According to the Daily
News, Kikwete said scarce
port space should be used
for containers and other dry
cargo.
“Any cargo that can be
stored out of the port, should
go out. We should avoid a
situation in which a port
is turned into a bonded
warehouse,” he is reported as
saying.