Chinese firms awarded Sh700bn road contracts
What you need to know:
- The contract to upgrade 432km road projects start immediately and will be implemented in three years.
The government yesterday awarded a Sh702.95 billion tender to four Chinese firms to upgrade two road projects from Tabora and Koga and from Mbinga and Mbamba Bay.
The contract to upgrade 432km road projects start immediately and will be implemented in three years.
The Chinese contractors include China Wu Yi Company Limited, China Railway Seventh Group Company Limited, China Henan International Cooperation Group Limited (Chico) and Geo Engineering Group Corporation.
The minister of Works, Transport and Communications, Prof Makame Mbarawa, said Tanzania National Road Agency (Tanroads) must ensure it supervised the projects accordingly.
According to him, the government will not hesitate to terminate any contract for the contractor, who will not finish the project on time.
“To new contractors… if you won’t complete your work according to specifications, it will be your first and last time to work in Tanzania,” he noted.
Prof Mbarawa further explained that Tanroads should ensure the projects were up to standard and showed value for money.
Tanroads chief executive officer Patrick Mfugale said they would make sure they played their part accordingly. “We have never signed big projects like this before. We will work hard to ensure they are implemented as required,” he noted.
Africa Development Bank (ADB) representative Hellen Minja said they would continue supporting the transport sector to improve Tanzania’s economy.
“We will help improve roads in Tabora and other regions to expand the economy of residents because 90 per cent of the Tabora residents are farmers,” she said.
Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology Eng. Stela Manyanya said that for a long Nyasa residents were requesting for upgrading of roads therefore this would be a great opportunity for them to expand business.
“We have a lot of business opportunities to able to grow the economy but due to poor conditions of roads, residents of Nyasa could not utilize them. However, it is never too late to progress the economy of Nyasa,” she said.
