By The Citizen Correspondent, Kampala

The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has urged Ugandan businesspeople to consider using the central corridor through Dar es Salaam port as an alternative to the crowded Mombasa port.

TPA marketing director Flavian Kinunda said: “We are here to negotiate with the importers and exporters to use the central corridor because its infrastructure has been improved.”

The 1,800km route from Dar es Salaam to Kampala via Mutukula has been upgraded to tarmac and it is increasingly having more traffic with transit days falling from 29 to four days.

In the past, Uganda’s cargoes used to go through the Dar es Salaam port via Mwanza by railway. However, after the collapse of the rail links, many businesspeople started using the northern corridor via Mombasa.
However, with the increasing economic growth among the East African member states, which has seen import figures increase, the Mombasa port has become congested.

That is why there is a need for an alternative route because importers have to wait for at least two months to clear their goods at the port.

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