Africa-Press – Tanzania. Tanzania Shipping Agency Corporation (TASAC), in collaboration with other public offices, is expected to conduct a countrywide census to establish number vessels, owners as well as their businesses in all water bodies.
This was revealed in Bagamoyo, Coast Region on Tuesday by TASAC’s Economic Regulation Director, Nashon Sigalla when he was concluding a two-day training of experts who will take part in the exercise which will last for 30 days from October 1, this year.
Representing TASAC’s Director General, Mr Sigalla said the findings of the census will be potential to policy makers, development planners,students and researchers since there will be a database with all crucial information regarding to vessels and ownership as well as activities; tourism, transport and fishing.
He named other institutions that will take part the exercise as National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as well as the Ministry of Livestock and Fishing; and local authorities.
“The fundamental reasons to conduct the exercise are to know the number of vessels, capacity, owners and businesses,” he said as he added: “finding will enable the policy-makers to come up with policies that will enable to the improvement of safety of vessels, operators and passengers.”
Vessels that will be involved in the national census are those of maximum of 24-metre length and capacity of carrying not more than 50 tonnes.
“This is not an inspection of vessels….it is merely a census…. so there is no need to hide them,” the TASAC’s director of economic regulation insisted as he asked for the cooperation from the stakeholders.
He said data will be collected digitally since officials will be using tablets to fill questionnaires and information will be coded on time.
Muleba District Fisheries Officer in Kagera Region, Maengo Nchimani who attended the training said he and other participants were well equipped, ready to take part in the exercise.
