THE Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) has high hopes on the standard gauge railway (SGR) as it will greatly contribute to achieving port expansion and efficiency goal, the management has stated.

Plasduce Mbossa, the TPA director general, made this observation in Dar es Salaam yesterday at the launch of the corporate customer service week, explaining that this situation will foster development in the transport sector, benefiting the neighbouring countries as well.

Considerable investments at the port are meant to enhance competitiveness and optimize the use of the SGR for cargo transportation, pointing at SGR electric train project as poised to accelerate economic growth.

“The construction of the SGR will enable faster cargo transport and boost port productivity particularly for Dar es Salaam, which handles large shipments from various countries,” he stated.

As the government actively seeks markets for crops such as cashews and peas, the SGR will strengthen the economy and increase incomes in various sectors, he said.

TPA plans to build ten piers to expand the Dar es Salaam port and enhance its regional competitiveness, he elaborated, affirming that the goal is to capture the port market for East Africa, first.

It is also looking at gaining market parts for Central Africa, shipping and other countries in the neighbourhood. The development of high-speed railways will help open up our country and boost revenues, he further noted.

Currently, SGR operates between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, with ongoing construction extending to Mwanza along with extensions to Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The railway’s construction stands to benefit farmers and crop traders by facilitating quicker delivery of agricultural products to lucrative foreign markets, with TPA liaising with major global shipping companies on the matter.

It seeks to ensure timely delivery of products in large quantities at competitive prices, positioning Dar port as a hub for wider shipping needs in the region.

On August 1, the government launched the first SGR passenger trip from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma, a milestone for the project, he added.