Tazara to change strategy
What you need to know:
Despite being a vital artery of traffic in south-eastern Africa, the corporation’s officials have admitted it has failed to operate as a profitable business.
Dar es Salaam. Last Sunday Tanzania Zambia Railway (Tazara) marked its 40th anniversary. The railway has transported about at least 28.4 million tonnes of cargo and 47.5 million passengers over the years.
Despite being an vital artery of traffic in south-eastern Africa, the corporation’s officials have admitted it has failed to operate as a profitable business, and by the year 2000, its performance had deteriorated to as low as 15,000 tonnes of goods per year.
According to Tazara’s deputy managing director, Dr Betram Kiswaga, the corporation needs to change the way it does business and make money.
A team of transport experts from the ministry of Works, Transport and Communications will travel to China next week to join counterparts in the Asian country to work out a strategy to revive Tazara.
The ministry’s Principal Secretary, Dr Leonard Chamuriho, told The Citizen in an interview that the Chinese government has sponsored a feasibility study that also looked at the business opportunities that Tazara can explore as it embarks on revival plans.
