DAR ES SALAAM, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Construction of the Chinese-built Kilwa Masoko fishing harbor in Tanzania has reached 97 percent completion in total, Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Bashiru Kakurwa said on Thursday.

Kakurwa made the remarks while presenting his ministry's budget estimates for the 2026/2027 financial year in parliament in Dodoma, the national capital.

The minister stated that the project is being constructed by China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. and features a completed 315-meter jetty and a modern administration building that is 98 percent complete.

He added that a fish processing complex comprising an ice-making plant, cold storage facilities, fish-handling infrastructure, and a fish market was 96 percent complete.

He noted that once operational, the harbor is expected to boost deep-sea fishing activities, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance fish exports and value addition.

The Kilwa Masoko fishing harbor, located along Tanzania's Indian Ocean coastline in the southeastern Lindi Region, is part of broader government efforts to modernize fisheries infrastructure and create employment opportunities for coastal communities, said Kakurwa. ■