Tanzanian urges businesses to utilise water transport

The Tanzanian Ports Authority (TPA) has urged Malawian businesses to make full use of the two vessels that ply on Lake Malawi between Mbeya and Monkey Bay to boost their enterprises.

The two vessels, MV Ruvuma and MV Njombe, have a capacity of 1,000 metric tonnes each.

TPA acting Deputy Director General (Services), Francisca Muindi, said the commissioning of the two vessels has resulted in the opening of Kiwila and Itungwi ports in Mbeya as well as Metangula and Cobwe in Mozambique.

Muindi said TPA is set to handle all imports and exports for Malawi through the two vessels.

“The coming in of our vessels will assist Malawian businesses to do international trade easier as the vessels are cost effective, thereby, boosting profits,” Muindi said.

She further said, in Malawi, the vessels will be docking at Nkhata Bay and Monkey Bay.

“As of today [Tuesday], MV Ruvuma is docked at Monkey Bay where it is offloading 900 metric tonnes of clinker and cement. Right now, Tanzania is also in the process of building another vessel which will combine both cargo and passengers. It will have a capacity of 200 passengers and 200 metric tonnes of cargo,” she said.

Most Malawians use the port of Dar es Salam for their imports.

Minister of Transport, Jappie Mhango, recently said the country would like to enhance the use of water and rail transport to minimise the cost of road rehabilitation.

Mhango said road transport has proven to be expensive for Malawi’s imports and exports.

“If we utilise rail and water transport, the cost of goods is likely to go down, thereby, making Malawian goods cheaper,” he said.