| Mtwara Port |
Prospective investors have shown keen
interest to invest on the envisaged Mtwara Freeport Zone that seeks to
serve the gas and oil exploration activities.
EPZA Research and Planning Manager James
Maziku described the response to the invitation so far as positive,
with over 10 potential investors having responded by last Friday
deadline.
“Many companies have shown interest to invest on the (Mtwara
Freeport) zone…it’s an indication that investors are eager to operate at
the area,” said Mr Maziku, noting that the authorities will meet soon
to evaluate the applications before inviting the firms to submit
detailed investment proposals.
Special Economic Zone Act 2006 and EAC
Customs Union (Freeport Operations Regulations) stipulate that applying
companies to undertake operations that provide services to the oil
exploration and gas extraction companies, whose activities should be
limited to warehousing and storage; labelling, packaging and repacking;
sorting, grading, cleaning and mixing; breaking bulky; simple assembly
and grouping of packages.
Mtwara region has earmarked a total of
110 hectares for the Free Port Zone, with the first phase of the
EPZA/TPA joint project on the 10 hectares scheduled to operate as the
oil and gas supply base.
EPZA and TPA have partnered on the project to
support smooth exploitation of natural resources in the southern region,
which is endowed with a huge amount of gas and oil.
Investors are already flocking to the
southern region to invest in manufacturing plants—cement and fertilisers
in particular.
Deep sea exploration is in progress by multinational
companies—Petrobras, British Gas and Orphir, making it inevitable to
have a logistical centre to supply materials and services to the
companies for efficient operations.
Source: The Daily News, www.dailynews.co.tz, reported from Dar es Salaam
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