Tanzania Suspends $10bn Mega Port

Bagamoyo Port, a US$10 billion port planned for construction in Tanzania, has been suspended as a result of the country’s new plan for improving capacity at Dar es Salaam and Mtwara ports, according to AllAfrica.

Professor Makame Mbarawa, Member of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi political party in Tanzania, said: “I do not want to reveal too much details or plans by the government on the fate of this project [Bagamoyo].

“What I can say is only that we are currently concentrating on the Dar es Salaam and Mtwara ports. We are looking for funds for the Port of Dar es Salaam and then for the Mtwara Port.”

A plan to build a new mega-port in Tanzania was announced at the end of November, 2015, after the Tanzanian government had successfully secured $10 billion in finance from China and Oman.

The plan was developed in order to transform Bagamoyo into a regional trade and logistics hub and boost the port’s capacity to 20 million TEU.

Tanzania is also acting on a new campaign, which has been created to oust corruption at ports in East Africa.

This followed previous news that Alexandra Wrage, the President and Founder of anti-bribery compliance firm Trace, announced that shipping was the most corrupt industry, after experiencing the most cases of corruption.