THE Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), the Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC) and some individuals have hailed transformation taking place at Tanzania’s ports, attributing the same for increased revenue collection.

Commenting on dividends handed to the government by 145 companies on Tuesday whereby the TPA topped the list, TPSF Managing Director Raphael Maganga attributed increased port revenue to improved infrastructure, especially at the Port of Dar es Salaam where eight berths are managed by foreign companies and three are jointly managed by the TPA and DP World, a Dubai-based company.

“We have reached a stage where the port’s ICT system is linked to that of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and other institutions. This explains TPA’s increased revenue, profits hence the dividend to the government. It explains the huge contribution of the private sector to this country,” he said.

TNBC Executive Secretary Godwill Wanga commended TPA for giving the biggest dividend to the government, saying that its success is testiment to how Tanzania has improved environment of doing business

“The government has made effort in ensuring that the environment of doing business remains enabling and friendly so that individuals and private companies do business profitably,” he said, adding that improvements port operations is a good example of successful public-private partnership ventures.

Dr Tasco Luambano said TPA’s huge dividend to the government has silenced critics of   private investment in port operations. “I talked about the importance of having competition in running ports.  TPA’s 2023/24 dividend proves increased efficiency as a result of competition and that competition has contributed to increased revenue.  Critics are now quite,” he said.

Senior lecturer at Mzumbe University, Mbeya Campus, asked the private sector to put forward initiatives and form public-private lofistics companies “so that Tanzanians can witness another area of efficient railway and road cargo haulage.”

On Tuesday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan received a total of 636bn/- from 145 institutions. Business entities contributed 278bn/- and regulatory bodies contributed 358bn/-.

At the Port of Dar es Salaam, DP World operates berths 4,5,6 and 7.  TPA and DP World jointly operate berths 1, 2 and 3. Adani International Ports Holding Limited operates berths 8, 9, 10 and 11. It operates the berths that were formally operated by Tanzania International Containers Terminal Services (TICTS) whose contract ended.