THE increased efficiency in the preparation and delivery of accounting information has enabled the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) to obtain clean certificates for two consecutive years in the accounts audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

In a statement issued yesterday, TPA said that the authority stated that under the leadership of its Director General, Plasduce Mbossa, it has successfully implemented the President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s instructions of ensuring that it must have the proper IT systems.

The achievement, according to the TPA, has come after the authority completed the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) project (Enterprise Resource Planning, (ERP), which is used in preparing and storing financial information.

In the 2022/2023 financial year, among the successes achieved is the implementation of President Samia’s instructions by completing the IT project which is used in the preparation and storage of financial information.

“The system also integrates the activities of various departments in carrying out daily tasks adding that it integrates all important departments such as finance, human resources, procurement and others,” reads part of the statement.

“The results of the completion of this system are in line with the efficiency in the preparation and delivery of TPA accounting information, where the system has enabled TPA to obtain clean certificates for two consecutive years for the audits conducted by (CAG).”

The authority also noted that due to the efficient use of the system, TPA has been able to get an award for the best presented financial statements issued by the National Board of Accountants and Auditors (NBAA).

According to the statement, the IT system has helped increase productivity by controlling loopholes in the loss of funds, preparation of various information on time, maintenance of documents and financial information and resources of the institution.

“Due to the strengthening of revenue collection systems, TPA revenues have increased by 27 percent for the fiscal 2022/2023 compared to the 2021/2022.”

On cargo handling, the statement noted that there has been a significant increase in ships and cargo where for the 2022/2023 fiscal year the number of ships served by TPA Ports increased to 4,762 ships from 4,160 ships which is an average increase of 13.9 percent per year.

It added the amount of cargo handled is 27.8m tonnes in 2022/2023 equal to an average increase of 21.7 percent of the cargo handled in the year 2021/2022.

The authority has made major infrastructure improvements including the creation of IT systems, implementation of the Dar es Salaam Port Strategic Improvement Project (DMGP), improvement of Tanga Port, expansion of Mtwara Port and improvement of Great Lakes Ports.