EACOP hands over last house in compensation drive
Mkinga district commissioner Maulid Surumbu (centre) hands over house keys to a family of Philipho Mpika (right) and his wife Amina Ally (left), who are residents of Songa Kibaoni village, to mark the completion of houses built by EACOP as compensation for families that were relocated to allow the construction of the Hoima-Chongoleani oil pipeline. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The last house was handed over yesterday at Songakibaoni Village in the Muheza District, Tanga Region, allowing the project to move ahead to the next phase.
Dar es Salaam. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has announced the completion of the handing over of replacement housing to people affected by the regional project in Tanzania.
The last house was handed over yesterday at Songakibaoni Village in the Muheza District, Tanga Region, allowing the project to move ahead to the next phase.
“The replacement housing programme, comprising a total of 339 houses and their ancillary structures, has been a cornerstone of our commitment to households affected by the land acquisition process,” the company said in a statement.
“The completion of the replacement housing programme demonstrates EACOP’s commitment to an international financing standard for the land acquisition process. We are proud to have collaborated with local contractors in the construction process, empowering the communities we serve and ensuring the highest quality construction for those impacted by the pipeline project,” the statement quoted EACOP general manager for Tanzania, Ms Wendy Brown, as saying.
In Tanzania, families that were physically displaced selected replacement houses and ancillary structures as their preferred form of compensation.
The construction of the replacement houses followed rigorous engagement with them, the valuation process, disclosure, and a one-to-one briefing on compensation packages prior to signing compensation agreements.
Replacement houses were built on land bought by the project and the Tanzania Peteleum Development Corporation (TPDC) or the affected people’s existing land.
As part of the housing package, each affected person received with their house a 5000-litre water tank as well as a 400-watt solar array, complete with a 200-ampere-hour battery, inverter, and charger controller.
The houses were built in regions of Kagera, Geita, Shinyanga, Tabora, Singida, Dodoma, Manyara and Tanga.
