BY CHIMWEMWE MANGAZI, IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA:
Malawian business operators have been urged to make full use of two new Tanzanian vessels when transporting cargo between the two countries.
The vessels, with a capacity of 1,000 metric tonnes each, would start plying on Lake Malawi soon.
They are expected to help business operators cut on transportation costs.
This comes at a time Malawi is spending over $6.4 million [about K4.6 billion] every month importing fuel alone into the country through road transport.
Speaking during a transit markets stakeholders’ forum in Dar es Salaam on Monday, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Works, Transport and Communications, Atashasta Nditiye, reiterated the country’s commitment to boost trade and investment relations with Malawi. He said Tanzania has also embarked on construction of a new road, connecting the Dar es Salaam port and Kyela District to ease road transport challenges.
“We have built two ships along Lake Nyasa [Lake Malawi] which can carry a thousand tonnes of cargo and we are maintaining the road from Dar es Salaam to Kyela,” Nditiye said.
He said the two governments are in talks over the Lake Malawi border wrangle which ensued some years ago.
Meanwhile, Tanzania is working towards increasing capacity of its Dar es Salaam port to increase its transit business with neighbouring countries, including Malawi.
Some of the other innovations at the port include building of a roll-on-roll-off terminal and deepening of the port’s 7 berths from eight metres to 15 metres, allowing it to receive larger vessels with capacity of up to 19,000 containers.
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