TANZANIAN clearing and freight forwarding company, ATB Investments Co Ltd, this week officially opened a new branch in Harare trading as Aysha.ATB Zimbabwe and have plans to have more branches in the country.
TARISAI MANDIZHA BUSINESS REPORTER
In an interview with NewsDay, ATB Investments director Abduhhah Kungulilo said the group has invested close to $18 000 towards the establishment of a new branch in Zimbabwe.
“We have so far invested close to $18 000 for the establishment of a branch in Zimbabwe. We are expanding the business from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to bring it close to our customers to make their lives easier. The whole idea is to minimise costs,” Kungulilo said.
“We started with Harare and already they are proposals to open a branch in Bulawayo. Apart from Zimbabwe, we have plans to open other branches in other regional countries.”
ATB Investments specialises in forwarding of import and local cargo, airfreight and sea freight, vehicle clearance, import and export documentation services, arrangement and monitoring of transport and deliveries, transportation and logistics, cargo trans-shipment, customs clearances
Kungulilo said the company is a member of the Tanzania Revenue Authority, Tanzania Port Authority, Tanzania Freight Forwarders’ Association, Surface and the Marine Transport Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Industry and Trade from Tanzania.
He said the port in Dar es Salaam, which provides service to Africa and Zimbabwe, is among the biggest customers who service the port. He said Zimbabwe imports close to 500 cars from various suppliers per month and 30% to 35% of this was being handled by ATB Investments.
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“ATB is targeting to reach 60% by year end,” he said.
Kungulilo said the company also serves neighbouring countries, such as Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Swaziland and Mozambique, by providing a much-needed service to clients wanting to import their own second-hand vehicles through Dar es Salaam port.
“We arrange clearance and movement of all types of goods and general cargo including motor vehicles and have road bonds in place to facilitate the movement of these goods in bond via Dar es Salaam into neighbouring countries,” Kungulilo said.
He added that the decision to open a branch in Zimbabwe was also a result of the need to provide good and genuine services which people could trust and rely on.
“Most people are suffering because they don’t know the right person to work with and what we have done is to open their eyes.
“We are committed to Zimbabwe and will commit ourselves. We have several plans not only doing clearing, but to provide other services along the same lines,” he said.
