ZANZIBAR, May 1 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to regional trade facilitation and infrastructure development, highlighting the country’s growing role as a key gateway for cargo transit across East, Central and Southern Africa.
Her remarks were delivered by Zanzibar’s Second Vice-President, Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, at the opening of a meeting of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations – Region Africa and Middle East (FIATA-RAME) held in Zanzibar.
She praised the work of FIATA and its member associations in strengthening global customs and freight forwarding standards, noting that both the Union and Zanzibar governments recognise the federation’s efforts in promoting efficiency and cooperation in trade logistics.
“Tanzania serves as a strategic transit hub for over eight land-linked countries, with ports in Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara, as well as major road and rail networks such as the central and TAZARA railways,” the President’s message noted.
She said that Tanzania remains one of the few countries in the region capable of handling large vessels, with cargo redistributed via feeder ships, an advantage the government continues to build upon through infrastructure upgrades and private sector partnerships.
Among the recent achievements highlighted was reducing ship turnaround times from ten days to just three and streamlining cargo handling operations as well as a revenue increase from port activities and customs—from 7.08tri/- in July 2023 to 8.26tri/- by February 2025, representing a growth of 1.18tri/-.
On Zanzibar’s contribution, President Samia noted progress in service delivery and infrastructure development, reaffirming the semi-autonomous government’s commitment to further enhancing logistics systems under the Zanzibar Development Vision 2050 and Zanzibar Development Plan (ZADEP).
“The government continues to implement enabling projects to integrate transport services and infrastructure for faster and more affordable movement of goods and people,” she added.
The conference, she said, is a vital platform for knowledge exchange, policy analysis, capacity building and sectoral cooperation.
She urged delegates to actively engage and build partnerships that will yield long term regional benefits.
Minister for Transport, Professor Makame Mbarawa described the meeting as a crucial opportunity to share experiences, foster cross-sector collaboration and explore digital transformation in logistics to reduce environmental impacts.
He also underlined the importance of developing professional capacity in the logistics industry and promoting the blue economy, especially through Tanzania’s growing investments in ports, railways and related infrastructure.
Zanzibar’s Minister for Infrastructure, Communications and Transport, Dr Khalid Salum Mohamed, echoed the importance of the event, saying it offers valuable insight into advancing the transport sector in line with Zanzibar’s strategic development goals.
“This conference is a powerful platform for generating ideas that will grow the transport sector and spur national economic development,” he said.
He also reaffirmed Zanzibar’s commitment to international cooperation and private sector partnerships to raise logistics standards in line with global benchmarks.
FIATA President Turgut Erkeskin commended Tanzania’s efforts to modernise its port and rail infrastructure, noting that maritime transport remains the most efficient and widely used method of moving goods worldwide.
On his part, President of the Tanzania Freight Forwarders Association (TAFFA) Edward John Urio and his Zanzibar counterpart Omar Mussa, also praised President Samia and Zanzibar’s Dr Hussein Mwinyi for their leadership in strengthening Tanzania’s transport network, including road, rail, air and marine transport.
In recognition of their contributions, FIATA, TAFFA and the Zanzibar Freight Forwarders Bureau (ZfB) presented awards to President Samia, Vice-President Hemed and FIATA President Turgut Erkeskin for their outstanding work in advancing freight and logistics services in the region. — NNN-DAILYNEWS
