DP World sets up state-of-the-a­rt logistics hub in Rwanda

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]ort operator DP World and the government of Rwanda have setup a state-of-the-a­ logistics hub, located 20 kilometers from the capital city Kigali, close to the international airport­.

The facility is East Africa’s first ever Inland Dry Port developed by DP World.

DP World Kigali is a secure, bonded facility spread over 13 hectares and features an Inland Container Terminal (ICT) with modern warehousing capacity, a container yard, administrative and services buildings, parking areas and other facilities.

DP World Kigali accesses two secure trade gateways for eastern Africa, the port of Mombasa in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Rwanda is working closely with Tanzania on a new standard gauge railway from Dar es Salaam to Kigali that will add a direct rail corridor to the two existing road routes, furt­her improving connectivity for containers and bulk goods.

Currently the cost of transport of a 20 foot container from Shanghai China to Mombasa costs anywhere between 500 USD to 1000 USD. The cost of transport of the same container from Mombasa to Kigali varies between 3000 USD to 4000 USD. The introduction of DPWK will serve the inland logistics problems, delays and cost by providing a one stop shop for all logistics requirements and cargo services.

The facility offers container handling, stuffing and de-stuffing, warehousing, storage and other cargo handling services. Impo­s from overseas can be routed through Kigali Logistics Platform for onward distribution to the surrounding countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the DRC, a growing region of over 40 million people.

Customs officers at the incoming po­rt use highly advanced e-tags, to seal incoming containers. These active RFID tags allow real-time tracking of cargoes on route to Kigali, for complete transparency and added security. A dedicated customs team inside DP World Kigali handles final customs clearances.

DP World Kigali is also establishing a road transport­ solution that will allow clients to fully outsource their end-to-end logistics needs, including international shipments, clearances, repacking and final deliveries. DP World’s single-window cargo management system and other investments in IT and automation will fu­rther increase efficiency and reduce costs.

These are savings that can be passed down along the supply chain to drive more growth in the region’s economy.

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