SONGWE: SONGWE Region handles about 75 per cent of cargo entering Tanzania through the Port of Dar es Salaam and destined for Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, making the Tunduma border a critical link in regional trade, Songwe Regional Commissioner Jabir Makame said yesterday.
Mr Makame said the region’s strategic location made it a major gateway for trade between Tanzania and SADC member states, while also supporting the performance of the Port of Dar es Salaam.
He said figures presented by Minister of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Investment), Prof Kitila Mkumbo, showed that 39 million tonnes of cargo had entered Tanzania through the port between 2021 and the present.
“Out of those 39 million tonnes of cargo entering the country through the Dar es Salaam Port, 75 per cent passes through our Tunduma border heading to SADC countries. Our border acts as a primary support engine for the performance of the Dar es Salaam Port,” said Mr Makame.
He said the dependence of the port on the Tunduma route was such that any interruption of cargo movement through the border for even a week could cause major bottlenecks and congestion at Dar es Salaam Port.
The commissioner said the government was also investing in road infrastructure connecting villages, wards and divisions to improve the movement of agricultural produce to markets.
Direct SGR cargo link to ease pressure at Dar es Salaam Port
Funding for the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) in Songwe had doubled since the current administration took office, rising from less than 10bn/- in 2021 to more than 20bn/- currently, he said.
Mr Makame said increased efficiency at the Port of Dar es Salaam had contributed to a rise in heavy truck traffic along the Tanzania-Zambia (TAZAMA) highway, which carries cargo from the port towards Zambia and other SADC markets.
He said the existing road, which is narrow in some sections, was increasingly inadequate to handle the growing volume of traffic.
The government has therefore planned to expand the highway to four or six lanes, he said.
An investor had already been secured to conduct a feasibility study, with the highway expansion expected to be implemented under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The planned expansion is expected to improve the movement of cargo through Tunduma, reduce pressure on the existing road network and strengthen the Dar es Salaam transport corridor’s role in regional trade.
