Help us market Port Bell, Uganda calls on Tanzania

Ugandan Minister for Works and Transport, Eng Monica Ntege,

What you need to know:

Eng Ntege, who is also the Central Corridor chairperson, said she came to Tanzania to look at projects within the Central Corridor before handing over the chairmanship next month to a national of the next country.

Dar es Salaam. Ugandan Minister for Works and Transport, Eng Monica Ntege, has called on Tanzania to work with Uganda to market the Port Bell that is directly connected to Mwanza Port along the Central Corridor with the aim of encouraging the public as well as companies to transport cargo along the route.

Eng Ntege, who is also the Central Corridor chairperson, said she came to Tanzania to look at projects within the Central Corridor before handing over the chairmanship next month to a national of the next country.

 “We thank the government of Tanzania for encouraging us to use this route, especially after being let down by RVR company that we initially used for transportation of our cargo,” she said.

She explained that the Dar es Salaam Port was efficient and cheap, thereby calling on transporters to utilize it.

According to her, Uganda has completed upgrading the 9-km road between Kampala and PortBell that connects to Mwanza Port and the Dar es Salaam Port by land.

She added that in view of the same, Uganda was ready to transport huge cargo from Uganda to Dar es Salaam.

She said they had already talked with large companies in Uganda to transport their cargo via the route to the Dar es Salaam Port.

“This is my first time to visit the port, and I’m amazed at how much it has been improved, including infrastructure upgrades,” she said.

She praised the government of Tanzania for opening the Central Corridor that enables Uganda to transport its cargo via Dar es Salaam port to outside markets.

For her part, Dar es Salaam Port director of Marketing, Lidya Mallya said the port had enrolled a task force to work closely with Uganda to ensure businesspeople were using the Central Corridor to transport their cargo via the Dar es Salaam Port.

According to her, they will utilize different opportunities to promote the route for companies from both countries to utilize it.