Dubious Dubai-Dar deal: Too much opacity has eroded trust

A ship docked at the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK

Little is new in the current controversy surrounding a proposed agreement between Tanzania and a Dubai-based company that is seeking to operate Dar es Salaam port for the coming 100 years, or more.

We have, in our lifetime, witnessed other noisy exchanges about other agreements that have sought to allow foreign economic interests to have huge stakes in our national resources, stakes that did not make sense to many people, and the authorities failed to provide satisfactory explanations.