Tanzania: DRC Cargo Theft Curbed At Dar es Salaam Port

THEFT of cargo destined for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been dramatically curbed, compliments of recent changes in the top management at the Dar es Salaam port and Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), according to an official of DRC Customs.
Mr Peter Molisho, a representative of the DRC Customs, hailed Transport Minister Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, for the reshuffle at TPA, which he said has helped curb theft of cargo. "Since the new management came in there are no complaints of cargo being stolen while at the port," Mr Molisho said.
The official told 'Daily news' at the new DRC Customs office which was opened in Dar es Salaam last week to facilitate transit trade between DRC and Tanzania.
On August 28, last year, Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Mr Harry Kitilya and Director General of DRC Customs, Mr Deo Rugwiza Magera, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishment of the office.
Mr Molisho said the office will be charged with combating fraud, to secure consignment on international logistics of trade as well promoting customs relations between the two countries.
"Mr Kitilya has been very instrumental in establishment of this office; he has also enabled the office to be connected to the Asycuda system which enables us to track cargo on transit. "The World Customs Organizations (WCO) allows revenue authorities to enter into agreements which would facilitate customs procedures in respective countries," Mr Molisho explained.
The eastern parts of DRC transports most of its cargo through the Dar es Salaam port. It also uses the port for export of its minerals to Europe and China. From the port, the cargo is transported to DRC via various borders such as Tunduma, Rusumo, Kabanga and Mutukula.
Some of the cargo is also transported through the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA). "Tunduma is a major border as it accounts for between 70 and 75 per cent of cargo to Katanga province in eastern DRC," according to Molisho.
The country imports fuel, garments, motor vehicle spare parts, used cars, edible oil as well as detergents and food while it exports its minerals such as copper, cobalt and coltan through Tanzania.
In future, Mr Molisho said his country is also looking forward towards putting up an inland container depot (ICD) on its own to store cargo destined for that country.
"The ICD will make tracing of cargo easy and we hope it will also reduce losses as all cargo will be stored there unlike now where it is stored in different ICDs," he said. The official said DRC also has another customs office in Mombasa, Kenya, which it uses to secure cargo transported through the port of Mombasa to the eastern parts of DRC.