Business: Mango Tree gigantic dredger launched to create modern ports along Lake Victoria shores

The dredger that Mango Tree Group Limited (MTG) launched at their shipyard at Bugiri Kawuku is a Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD) which was constructed with the permission and close supervision of the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) and other line government MDAs as well as Operation Wealth Creation (OWC).

The official is an important development as the government through initiative like Operation Wealth Creation seeks to expedite Vision 2020 and Vision 2040 that aim to uplift the biggest percentage of our population to middle income status by the year 2020 and further see the country become a heavily industrilised and prosperous one by the year 2040.

The dredger will be crucial in clearing important waterways on the lake Victoria for example new ports and existing ports like Port Bell, Jinja that are thwarted by shallowness caused by silting, pollution and water weeds.

The chief coordinator of OWC Gen Salim Saleh is confident Mango Tree Group’s port construction and shipbuilding expertise will further help Uganda develop its water transport system and effectively link our ports to Kenya and Tanzania in order to boost regional and internal trade.

Officiating at the ceremony on Thursday, State Minister for Trade Hon. Michael Werikhe voiced the high transport costs traders in Uganda to transport their goods from Mombasa to Kampala by road. They pay an average of $1000 to transport one container from Mombasa to Uganda which is two times more than what it would cost ($500) per container if an efficient Lake Victoria transport system was developed.

The future jobs to be created with this development too are innumerable.

The Minister also urged politicians not to mislead their people by saying that sand mining is the same as dredging which is merely clearing a bed of harbour , river or any other area of water through scooping out mud , weeds rubbish with a dredge .

Speaking at the launch of the Mango Tree Group dredger Launch, OWC Deputy Chief Coordinator .Lt Gen Charles Angina hailed Mango Tree Group for constructing the dredger and the Shipyard at Kawuku as their initial way of contributing and supporting government efforts to have an effective water transport/port system on Lake Victoria.

OWC will continuously support such ventures as they are a part of the many ways the operation is helping address strategic economic bottlenecks which had left economic growth and unemployment stalled.

Mr. Fan the Chairman of Mango Tree Group pledged to work hand in hand with all government agencies concerned with water transport on Lake Victoria in order for the dredging project to have its full economic impact as intended.

He also expressed interest in partnering more with the government of Uganda so that it realise it’s Vision2020 as planned in the National Development Plan.