The Dar es Salaam port has witnessed an increase in Rwandan cargo passing through the facility to at least 950,000 tonnes in the last year from 630,000 tonnes for the period of 2012/13.

According to Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), the increased number equals to 9.9 per cent.

TPA Director General Eng. Deusdedit Kakoko revealed this in Dar es Salaam yesterday, when he met with Rwanda ambassador in Tanzania Eugene Kayihura who visited the port.

The TPA boss said presently cargo from Rwanda and other neighboring countries was stored within the port premises to ease clearance and ensure security of the cargo.

The Director General stated that in its strategy to strengthen business relations with customers, the government through TPA has allocated space for storage of Rwanda cargo at the Kwala dry port, in Ruvu and called for Rwandan traders to use that dry port for their cargo and the Isaka dry port in Shinyanga in order to reduce travel time. He said that TPA has already completed the construction of its liaison office in Rwanda for serving its customers from that country and was working on finalizing all procedures before official inauguration.

The Opening of the office will greatly help to strengthen our service to Rwandan customers who are using the Dar e salaam port,”Eng. Kakoko said. The Rwandan ambassador Kayihura thanked the government of Tanzania for providing them with space to store Rwanda cargo.

Ambassador Kayihura said the trade between the two countries had been steadily increasing in recent years after TPA had improved its services.

“Currently the Dar es Salaam port has been handling at least 90 per cent of all imported goods from Rwanda, thus putting a record of rapid increase of Rwandan cargo handled at Dar es Salaam port, ambassador Kayihura said.

The ambassador said his visit to the port was part of Rwanda’s efforts to strengthen trade relations between the two countries.

In its strategy to ensure that the authority is close to its customers, TPA recently took part at the International trade fair in Rwanda where, amongst other things, Officials met with the country’s traders who were satisfied with Dar es Salaam port services.