Nundu: Red tape killing Tanga port

[Averos]

Transport Minister Omar Nundu


Transport Minister Omar Nundu has cited unnecessary bureaucracy by Port Improvement Committee officials as the stumbling block to the development of Tanga port.
“Red tape by the committee officials is a critical problem derailing stakeholders’ efforts to develop this port,” said the minister during his meeting with Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) officials yesterday.
He said economic development in Tanga Region was stagnant partly due to poor performance of Tanga port, pointing an accusing finger at the Improvement Committee officials.
“They (committee officials) are too slow in executing the necessary improvement strategies for Tanga port…it’s a serious drawback to the regional development efforts,” he added.
He said his ministry had already directed TPA, Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and Tanzania Railway Ltd (TRL) to sit together and chart out strategies to bring back all clients who had been using the port.
The minister’s directive followed complaints by Tanga Port employees that TRA regional office had contributed to frustrating businessmen who stopped using the port.
Speaking to the workers yesterday, the minister blamed the Port Improvement Committee saying the unit was behind poor performance and ineffectiveness of the port authority.
Nundu also ordered the port authority to immediately start construction of port infrastructures before the next financial year-2011/12 as specified in the TPA’s strategic plan — designed specifically to transform Tanzania into a business gateway for East and Central African countries.
In the implementation process, the minister pushed for the reduction of time for clearing consignments at the Dar es Salaam port and improvement of service delivery in other ports in the country.
He also asked the port authority management to ensure that while construction of Mwambani port was going on, they were supposed to purchase modern equipment and facilities to enhance efficiency and effective provision of services at the port.
Speaking at the meeting, Tanga port trade union (Dowuta) chairman, Isidory Wakuruwazi called on the government to work out mechanism for resolving prolonged problems facing Tanga port.
“Efficiency and general performance of the port had been deteriorating day in, day out. Potential businesspeople that had been using the port for years have run away because of inefficiency in service delivery,” he said.
For his part, one of the port’s workers, Hanaf Ramadhan said some of the businesspeople had complained that the decision by TRA to increase taxes was one of the factors which forced some business people to move to other ports.
“Clients who talked to us have said they are not interested in using Tanga port because of high taxes charged by TRA. They complain that, the revenue authority had been irregularly and illegally hiking taxes at the port,” said Ramadhani.



SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

 

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