/Reuters Agency
Tanzania will begin construction of a new port facility in the east of the country in December 2025, a senior government official reported, ending a decade of delays due to government objections over the initial contract terms agreed with foreign developers.
The Port of Bagamoyo, part of a large-scale special economic zone initiative that includes industrial parks and rail and road connections, is located about 75 kilometers north of the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.
Gerson Msigwa, the government’s chief spokesperson, told journalists that the port facility will have 28 berths, although construction will initially begin with 14. Construction machinery was already on its way, without giving further details.
The port will have a depth of up to 20 meters, able to receive larger ships than any other facility in the East African region.
“The port will be able to handle ships with a capacity of up to 25,000 containers,” Msigwa stated, without giving details on the project’s value or the construction contractor.
The East African nation signed a framework agreement in 2013 with two developers, China Merchants Holdings International and the State General Reserve Fund of Oman, but implementation was delayed because the government considered the terms not favorable for the country.
After taking office in 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan stated that they had initiated negotiations to revive the $10 billion project.
