Tanga. The minister for Finance, Amb Khamis Mussa Omar, has commended the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) for a substantial increase in operational efficiency at Tanga Port.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the facility, Amb Omar attributed the development to major government funding aimed at modernising the port’s infrastructure, an intervention that has integrated the hub into global maritime trade routes and boosted its contribution to the national economy.
During his visit to assess ongoing operations, Amb Omar expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved following capital works to deepen the port’s berths and construct a new 456-metre quay.
These engineering upgrades now enable large ocean-going cargo vessels to dock directly at the lakeside terminal.
Amb Omar highlighted that the infrastructural enhancements have allowed Tanga Port to welcome direct calls from large main-line vessels originating from the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, for the first time in its history.
This milestones underscores the port’s heightened competitive edge and its capacity to service international trade.
“Previously, the shallow draught at the port restricted large vessels from docking directly,” Amb Omar stated.
“Today, because of the significant capital investment by the government, Tanga Port routinely accommodates large vessels directly from the US and China. This is a remarkable achievement that warrants recognition.”
The government plans to further extend the quay length from 456 metres to 900 metres, specifically dedicated to containerised cargo handling.
This expansion is designed to position Tanga Port as a primary logistics hub within the East African region.
Amb Omar noted that increased capacity opens lucrative investment avenues for the private sector, particularly in the development of inland warehousing facilities and auxiliary transport logistics outside the immediate port area.
He urged local businesses and investors in the Tanga Region to capitalise on these emerging opportunities.
In addition to maintaining domestic passenger services between Tanga and Pemba, the government intends to develop facilities to accommodate international cruise ships, a move expected to stimulate regional tourism and broader economic activity.
TPA Tanga Regional Manager, Salehe Mbega, confirmed that the government-backed expansion has fundamentally transformed the facility’s capabilities.
The introduction of direct vessel calls has largely eliminated the reliance on smaller feeder vessels that previously characterised the port’s operations.
According to Mr Mbega, the upgrades have halved cargo processing timelines.
Average vessel turnaround times have dropped from between eight and ten days down to between three and five days, whilst also eliminating the secondary handling costs previously incurred when transferring cargo from outer anchorages to the quay.
Operational data reflects this transformation.
The annual volume of vessels serviced rose from an average of 100 prior to the upgrades to 616 vessels in the financial year ending June 2026.
Simultaneously, annual cargo throughput surged from approximately 500,000 tonnes to 2.17 million tonnes.
Tanga Port is also managing heavy logistics for several of the state’s strategic infrastructure developments, including regional power and gas projects alongside the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
“The improvements have scaled up the capacity of Tanga Port so rapidly that within just two to three years, we have witnessed a surge in shipping and cargo volumes that exceeded our initial projections,” Mr Mbega added.
“As the facility approaches its new capacity limits, we are moving forward with the next phase of expansion, which involves constructing three additional berths and expanding storage yards, partly through private sector partnerships in dry ports.”
Amb Omar was accompanied on the inspection by the Regional Commissioner for Tanga, Dr Batilda Buriani; the District Commissioner for Tanga Bureau, Dadi Kolimba; the Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Finance and Accountant General, CPA Leonard Mkude; and the Deputy Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority, Mcha Hassan Mcha, alongside senior officials from the treasury and its subsidiary agencies.
