MWANZA: THE Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) says the increase in cargo handled at Tanzania ports from 32.7m tonnes in the 2024/25 financial year to 39.9m tonnes in 2025/26 has further strengthened the importance of the Central Corridor in domestic and international trade.
Speaking at a meeting of traders and Central Corridor stakeholders in Mwanza, TPA Director General’s representative, Dr George Fasha, said traders and transport stakeholders needed to work together to eliminate non-tariff barriers that cause cargo delays and increase transportation costs.
He warned that such challenges could undermine the competitiveness of Tanzanian ports compared with alternative trade routes in the region, stressing the need to improve service efficiency and coordination across the transport sector.
Dr Fasha added that the completion of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) connecting Dar es Salaam to Mwanza is expected to expand freight transportation opportunities and strengthen integration between rail and water transport. This would facilitate cargo movement to and from regional markets.
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Meanwhile, Ilemela District Commissioner Amiri Mkalipa, who represented the Mwanza Regional Commissioner, said TPA statistics demonstrated significant opportunities for trade and investment growth.
However, he noted that sustaining these gains would require reducing cargo handling times, controlling unnecessary costs and improving coordination across all transport routes.
The meeting brought together traders and transport stakeholders along the Central Corridor to identify solutions to challenges affecting the cargo transportation chain, including poor institutional coordination, delays in accessing timely information and gaps in supporting transport services.