President Samia defends frequent foreign trips
President Samia and US VP Kamala Harris after the talks
What you need to know:
- Speaking during the event, the Head of State said when she delivered a maiden speech in Parliament on April 22, 2021, and promised to complete the implementation of ongoing development projects, she didn't know where the money would come from.
Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday, July 4, 2022, defended her foreign trips, saying they enable her to mobilize funds for the implementation of development projects.
The Head of State said dialogue with development partners both domestic and abroad has enabled her to mobilize Sh16.7 trillion for implementation of the first phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project stretching from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza.
She expressed her optimism that through the same approach, her government will manage to mobilize funds for the implementation of the second phase of the project from Tabora-Kigoma-Kitega via Msongati in Burundi.
President Hassan made the remarks at the Dar es Salaam State House where she witnessed the signing of the construction project of the SGR lot number four covering 168 kilometres between Tabora and Isaka.
The $900.1 million (Sh2.094 trillion) contract was signed between the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) and the Turkish contractor, Yapi Merkez.
Speaking during the event, the Head of State said when she delivered a maiden speech in Parliament on April 22, 2021, and promised to complete the implementation of ongoing development projects, she didn't know where the money would come from.
“But, everything is the product of discussions. When we invite people here for dialogue as well as when we follow them where they are for discussions, these are the outcomes,” she said.
“It's easier to blame if you don’t grasp how things work. People say the president is always travelling, she does not stay in the country. Instead of visiting the regions within Tanzania, she is only travelling abroad. But this is the outcome,” she added.
The president said visiting regions in Tanzania would give her the opportunity to build domestic politics, but she won’t be able to mobilize funds for development as compared to foreign trips.
