Tanzania Invests Over TZS 429 Billion in Tanga Port Expansion, Doubling its Capacity

The Government of Tanzania has invested more than TZS 429 billion in the expansion of the Port of Tanga, doubling its capacity and enabling it to begin serving larger vessels carrying more cargo and containers.

The figure was disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Khamis Mussa Omar, when he met leaders of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in Tanga Region after concluding a recent working visit.

Omar said the government is implementing major development projects in the region, including the Tanga Port expansion, the upgrading of Tanga Airport, road construction and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

He attributed the improved outlook to the scale of the port works already completed.

“The people of Tanga are beginning to see the results of this investment, the port has been expanded significantly and its capacity has doubled, this is an important step in opening up Tanga economically,” said Omar.

The Minister added that the government is committed to ensuring the Tanga–Arusha–Musoma railway project is implemented according to plan.

He noted that the road network connecting Tanga to other regions and neighbouring countries continues to be improved to ease the movement of people and goods.

Omar stated that the government would carry out a detailed assessment of the delays affecting construction of the Tanga–Pangani road and take appropriate measures to ensure the project is completed on time.

National Executive Committee (MNEC) member Mohammed Salim said the visit had increased momentum to accelerate the implementation of development projects in the region.

Salim stressed the importance of speeding up the delivery of road, railway, port and other infrastructure projects critical to economic growth.

Tanga Port Expansion

The Tanga Port expansion is a Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) project launched around 2019 and 2020 to modernise a facility that had historically operated only two berths totalling about 450 metres with limited annual handling capacity.

The works, valued at TZS 428 billion and funded entirely by the Government of Tanzania, include deepening the entrance and turning area for ships and upgrading berths 1 and 2.

The upgrade raises the port’s capacity to 3 million metric tonnes of cargo per year, up from 0.75 million metric tonnes before the works began.

Officials have said the completion of dredging and construction of a 456-metre berth enabled the port to receive larger vessels directly from international markets.

The government has since announced plans to construct a new 300-metre berth at Tanga following a surge in revenue and cargo volumes.