Dar Port (Tanzania) has lowered its tariffs to reduce congestion

Ms. Francisca Mwindi, [Marketing Manager Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA)] announced that Dar es Salaam Port has lowered its tariffs, lower than Mombasa's and Durban's, to reduce congestion. A tonne of cargo is charged 4$ at Dar Port compare to the same weight and measure at $7.5 in Mombasa and Durban ports. They decision was reached in order to get rid of critical congestion at the port.

Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Congo had turned to Mombasa for the service after the dwell time had reached between 25 - 35 days per container by October 2008.

• TPA's dwell time recommendations: 5 days for import containers, 3 days for export containers and 10 days for empties.
• TPA plan for early clearance of cargo: Customers use the Mtwara port for transshipment of containers; reinforcing a 24-hour working system; imposing a punitive tariff to importers who delay to clear their cargo; speeding up auctioning of overstayed cargo; and improving capacity and performance of terminal operators with better equipment.
• TPA's other short term measures: Use of information technology (IT) and streamlining the documentation procedures in cargo clearance from the port; the use of Isaka and Mbeya dry ports; and dredging of the port to improve drafts.
• TPA's long term measures: Constructing two more berths -- Berth 13 and Berth 14 -- for container handling; speeding up construction of a multi-storey vehicle park to relieve port space for other cargo types; and construction of a new container terminal at Bagamoyo.