Antwerp tips Dar port on improving efficiency

Dar es Salaam. The Belgian port of Antwerp yesterday advised Dar es Salaam Port to focus on key areas, including training, operation and management, to increase efficiency.

Antwerp managing director Kristof Waterschoot said this during a visit to Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) headquarters that the areas will strengthen management of Dar es Salaam and other local ports.

He visited to see how they perform their activities and check the possibility of cooperation.

“The most important area is Bandari College which will strengthen the management and port operations. We also have APEC Port Training. The idea is to strengthen the Tanzania port sector through education and learning” he said.

Mr Waterschoot added that there is also a need for operation support so as to ensure Tanzania can serve more cargo, add more infrastructure and plan new infrastructure that will go together with adoption of new technology.

TPA deputy director general Juma Kajavara said Belgium is “very advanced in port activities in the world and they have a big port college through which we expect to work together and enable Tanzania ports to serve at the best international level in provision of services”.

Mentioning some challenges of Dar es Salaam port, Mr Kijavara said the port was built with a capacity of serving 12 ships at a time in 12 berths but now it is different due to various changes and only nine ships can be served at a time.

“This is because nowadays there are big ships of up to 400 metres but we can afford only 200 metres although sometimes we can have up to 280 metres at a risk,” he said.

Dar es Salaam Port handles 17.025 million tonnes of cargo annually, according to latest statistics.