Container handling improves at Dar Es Salaam Port

Container handling at Dar es Salaam Port has improved by over 30 per cent following the ending of the operating monopoly by Tanzania International Container Terminal Services (TICTS), reported All Africa.

After the government had removed TICTS' exclusivity over a year ago, shipping time also decreased to four days compared to 18 days during the congestion nightmare.

The port efficiency also forced shippers to remove the congestion surcharge of US$100 per TEUs imposed due to high number of waiting days.

Tanzania Shipping Agents Association (TASAA) chairman Emmanuel Mallya said in Dar es Salaam that ships currently wait four days, above Kenya's Mombasa Port and South Africa's Durban Port.

"There is a lot of improvements ever since. The days are even up compared to five days at Mombasa and for six days at Durban. The (Dar) port is doing well at the moment," Mallya said.

He said currently the port is capable of handling four container ships – three at TICTS and one at the general cargo berth thus improving efficiency. Available data from Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) showed that in 2009 TICTS handled 307,986 TEUs, while TPA's container terminal handled 45,752 TEUs.

According to Dar es Salaam port, short-term measures implemented last year to decongest the port included working 24 hours; to raise tariffs well above those charged by other institutions outside the port as warehouse; and to improve productivity and purchase of more cargo handling equipment.

This year, TICTS invested $19 million to enhance container handling capacity by procuring a new Panamax quay crane and two new rubber-tyred gantry cranes.
(Source:www.cargonewsasia.com)