Isaka dry port project hangs in balance

According to availed information from the Ministry of Infrastructure Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are to approve the final study of the Isaka – Kigali railway line The project to develop infrastructure at Isaka dry port in Tanzania might be dropped if the construction of Isaka- Kigali Railway line is implemented sooner than expected. The project expected to handle transit cargo to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Rwanda providing the region with an internal container depot (ICD), a parking yard, storage facilities and motor garages. According to Gustave Nkurunzinza, Projects Manager in Private Sector Federation (PSF) said that an economic and financial study shows that the project would not be viable once the railway is in place because goods will be shipped through the Central Development Corridor (CDC) for Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. It is anticipated that once the railway project is completed, most importers and exporters will shift from Mombasa port to Dar es Salaam because it is 1,600 Km a slightly shorter distance as compared to the Mombasa Port which is 1700 Km from Kigali. The feasibility study conducted by Royol Haskoning a Netherlands Company will be submitted next month. “The construction of the Isaka dry port will depend on the rate of the implementation of the Isaka-Kigali Railway, though we will have close dialogue with the Ministry of Infrastructure whether to implement it,” Nkurunziza said. Development of Isaka dry port was officially handed over to PSF in April last year where a team from the federation toured the site and held several meeting with the line ministry on how it will be implemented alongside the railway line. The 17.5 hectares at Isaka dry port was officially handed over to the Rwandan government in 1987. It is located in 485kms from Kigali and 982 from Dar es Salaam. Initial project were estimated $15 million though it was to be revised since it was considered expensive. According to Nkurunziza, similar infrastructure will be developed in Mombassa, Djibouti and at the Rwanda International Trade Fair and Exhibition Park which is to be constructed at Kagarama in Kicukiro district. Information from the Ministry of Infrastructure shows that the final study of the Railway line will be approved next month by the three countries, of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. Ends

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Isaka dry port project hangs in balance