Zanzibar — ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has said that they have designated the Mangapwani area as a new oil tank farm for loading and transfer of fuel products.
At the inauguration of the oil depot in Mangapwani, North Unguja Region, Dr Mwinyi instructed the responsible ministries to direct all oil activities there.
"The government intends for all the oil companies to offload oil in Mangapwani," said Dr Mwinyi.
He said the first stage of building the port is the construction of a 60-kilometer road. According to the reality of the port itself, this will be the first large, quality road in Zanzibar that can serve large vehicles carrying heavy loads.
On January 20, 2021, Dr Mwinyi witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of the Mangapwani state-of-the-art port in North Unguja at the Zanzibar State House between his government and the Oman Investment Authority (OIA).
The project will involve the construction of berths for liquid bulk goods, containers, fishing vessels and natural gas offshore services, as well as backup infrastructure for the rehabilitation of marine vessels.
The agreement was among the steps taken by the government towards implementation of the country's blue economy policy.
The containers that will be unloaded at the port will go from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Beira and Durban in South Africa. According to Dr Mwinyi, the multipurpose port at Mangapwani will service not only Zanzibar but the entire region of East Africa.
There are plans to construct a second port in the area for loading and offloading oil and gas that will hold 21 million litres of oil, according to Dr Mwinyi. There will also be a grain terminal that will involve the unloading of all food products, including rice, beans, corn, wheat flour and other foods that will be unloaded quickly so that they can reach the people on time.
Dr Mwinyi further said that in addition to the fishing-related facilities, the mega-project will also have industrial infrastructure and maritime training institutions.
These will facilitate the nation's blue economy drive. The government has opted for ocean-based activities as the engine of its economic growth.
He said the government anticipates having enough oil and maintaining reserves so that Zanzibar can sell oil to other landlinked nations. He also opined that the construction of Mangapwani Port is a solution to the problems at Malindi Port, where vessels must wait five to ten days to unload their cargo, which has a negative impact on the nation's economy.
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Speaking at the event, the Minister for Water, Energy, and Minerals, Shaib Hassan Kaduara, said that the ministry's responsibilities touch people's daily lives and expressed the government's intention to solve all the challenges arising from the sectors.
According to Mr Kaduara, as part of the government's attempts to address these issues, the first clean and safe water tank to be built in Zanzibar is scheduled to be unveiled in Chakechake Pemba.
Director of Corporate Affairs of Bakhresa Companies, Hussein Sufiani, thanked the government of Zanzibar for creating a good environment for doing business, solving the challenges faced by businessmen and making the Mangapwani Oil Depot project a success.
He said that Bakhresa companies will continue to cooperate with government institutions involved in the management of their daily responsibilities and promised to continue providing quality services to their customers.
