The much anticipated Bagamoyo
Port that is expected to boost the country's economy and attract big
investments in the country is expected to kick off operations between 2020 and
2021, Deputy Minister for Trade, Industries and Investment, Engineer Stella Manyanya
has confirmed.
Eng Manyanya who was
addressing a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industries, Trade and
Environment in Dodoma yesterday said the 6.9bn/- project for a modern port was
being carried out through a collaboration of China and Oman, expressing
optimism that over 190 industries will be constructed on the Bagamoyo area,
including the manure processing industry that will be put up by the government
of Oman.
At a committee meeting led by
Mvomero MP, Suleiman Sadiq, the deputy minister said when the port becomes operational,
it will attract more investors who will equally help the country to attain its
industrial economy agenda, currently being propagated by the fifth phase
government.
Eng Manyanya who was appointed
by president John Magufuli as deputy minister in the ministry in the recent
cabinet reshuffle told the committee that the 6.9bn/- project was being carried
out by the Chinese based company-- Merchants Holdings International Company
Limited (MHICL), and State General Reserve of Oman.
On February 16 this year, the
then Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Lu Youqing, said the Bagamoyo project
would turn Bagamoyo into Shenzhen, a city in China which was transformed into a
Special Economic Zone area.
Dr Youqing noted that MHICL,
which is implementing the Bagamoyo project, developed Shenzhen. He further said
that Tanzania had attached great importance to the Bagamoyo project which is a
joint project of Tanzania, China and Oman.
"The government of
Tanzania has attached great importance to the Bagamoyo Port and adjacent
Industrial Park, and it has listed it in the second five-year national
development plan.
"This is a mega project,
it is a huge work to turn Bagamoyo into Shenzhen of Tanzania," he
explained, noting that the Chinese developer wanted to implement the project in
phases. "With regard to the port, the three parties have reached a general
consensus on construction and operation of the port. The port consists of eight
kilometres Port Zone and a logistics centre... there will be dredging water channels
to the port," he explained.
According to the Tanzania
Investment Centre (TIC) statistics, by the end of June 2016, Chinese investment
in Tanzania had reached 6.62 billion US dollars, with about 600 Chinese
companies operating in Tanzania.
Oman on the other hand, has
had profitable diplomatic relations with Tanzania, investing in various
projects including that of Bagamoyo. "The strategy that we have in our
government is that by 2020, the Bagamoyo Port should start offering services
and it will be receiving big cargo vessels.
Oman will offer a good
assistance to our government in helping our people in the country," said
the deputy minister yesterday.
Eng Manyanya was quick to
point out that by 2025, Tanzania would realise its industrial economy agenda,
insisting that the Bagamoyo port would similarly put up proper infrastructure,
including roads and electricity, adding that even the gas pipeline would cross
over the port.
Source: allAfrica