PRIORITY AGENDA: Members of the Tanzania Cluster of the Central Corridor met mid this year to evaluate the implementation of previous recommendations in order to facilitate transport and trade along the Central Corridor. COURTESY PHOTO

 
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA – The government has repeated its stated goal to strengthen the Central Corridor by rehabilitating roads and building a standard gauge railway after putting aside Tsh.4.8 trillion (just over $2 billion) in the 2016/2017 national budget. 
On completion these projects are expected to foster among other things export of agriculture products, increase tourism, trade and create employment opportunities in the region.
Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the 7th East & Central Africa Roads & Rail Infrastructure summit last week in Dar es Salaam, the Minister for Works, Transport & Communication Prof. Makame Mbarawa said the government is ready to develop its infrastructure network system to stimulate trade in the regional integration of the East African Community (EAC).
“The government plans to revamp its infrastructure system by identifying key areas that connects us with neighboring states especially land locked countries, it is a high time for the private sector to take part in these development projects through Public Private Partnership (PPP),” he said.
Professor Mbarawa noted that there are also plans to inject approximately $2.2 billion in the upgrading of the Dar es Salaam to Chalinze up to Sumbawanga to Nakanazi as part of the fifth phase government in spiraling the central corridor routes.
“As for the reconstruction of the standard gauge railway we have committed to dish out nearly $7.63 billion to strengthening the competitions in the transport sector while creating employment opportunities through those construction projects,” he added.
He further said that the country deserves to be a middle income nation as its routes are used by various lack locked countries such as Democratic Republic of  Congo (DRC), Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi to facilitate trades.
“As the Tanzania government holds talks that its five years development plan 2015/2020 focuses on revamping its roads sector by also applying international modules for constructing roads that are environmental friendly to users,” insisted Professor Mbarawa
He said that the EAC member states should enhance trade cooperation to pave way for more business opportunities in the region as governments in the region strategically eyeing to increase trades volumes that will fueled regional integration.
According to him that the government will undertake a number of development construction projects in the country but its need fully participation of the private players through PPP with value for money due to the fact it has multiple effects in the Tanzanian economy.
He mentioned the just ended project of Dar Rapid Transit System (DART) that has taken over couple of months ago saying that the second phase of the project will include the Mbagala and Gongolamboto suburbs with the main aim to decongestion the Dar es Salaam city.
On his part, the Chairman, Tanzania Roads Association Engineer Abdul Awadhi underscored that the summit meeting was crucial for the stakeholders in the construction industry to discuss the best way to tackle transport barriers that hinder trade growth while diminishing economies in the region.
“We have profound honor to thank the government of Tanzania for its collaborative efforts to bring vital stakeholders into the discussion table that will bring fruitful results to the infrastructure sector,” he added.  Abhijit Upadhye, the General Manager – Technical, Richmond Mercantile Limited said that the Tanzania economy is growing fast with modern changing faces of the country through high-rise buildings with modern material that attracted a number of business people to invest.
He further explained that in the last 25 years his company has been in business in the East Africa region especially Tanzania by undertaking a number of roads construction works and maintenance also supplying modern equipment and materials for sustainability of the projects.
Source: Business Week

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