Dar Es Salaam, Jun 22 (IANS): The Tanzanian government has said the state-run Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has embarked on a five-year strategy aimed at upgrading the country's ports.

Godfrey Kasekenya, the Deputy Minister for Works and Transport, on Tuesday told parliament in the capital Dodoma that the 2021/2022 to 2025/2026 strategy will involve the upgrading of the ports berths, among others.

Kasekenya said ports under the upgrading programme included Dar es Salaam, Mtwara and Tanga, all located along the Indian Ocean.

He added that the upgrading of the ports will go in tandem with the procurement of port facilities, including mobile harbor cranes, terminal tractors and ship to shore gantry cranes to attract users, Xinhua news agency reported.

Kasekenya said currently TPA is promoting Mtwara port in order to attract markets from the Mtwara Development Corridor that attracts five countries of Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Comoro and Congo.