What Sh3.775 trillion in road projects means to economy
What you need to know:
- Upon project completion, several areas will undoubtedly experience a quick economic expansion
Dar es Salaam. The government yesterday outlined the benefits of the construction of 2,035 road kilometres at the tarmac level worth Sh3.775 trillion, including job creation and opening economic activities in respective areas.
Other benefits include stimulating use of the Dar es Salaam Port, simplifying transport and transportation of goods, and attracting domestic and foreign investment.
These are the roads that would be built under the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing (EPC + F) programme, whose implementation commenced in the 2022/23 fiscal year.
The roads and their respective kilometres in brackets are Kidatu-Ifakara-Lupiro-Malinyi-Kilosa Kwa Mpepo-Londo-Lumecha/Songea (435.8); Arusha-Kibaya-Kongwa (453.42); and Handeni-Kiberashi-Kijungu-Kibaya-Njoro-Olboroti-Mrijo Chini-Dalai-Bicha-Chambalo-Chemba-Kwa Mtoro-Singida (384.33).
Others are Igawa-Songwe-Tunduma (237.9); Masasi-Nachingwea-Liwale (175); Karatu-Mbulu-Haydom-Sibiti River-Lalago-Maswa (339); and Mafinga-Mtwango-Mgololo (81).
Speaking after witnessing the signing of contracts between the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) and four Chinese companies that will implement the projects, the Works and Transport minister, Prof Makame Mbarawa Mnyaa, said the projects will unlock various economic activities.
“The purpose of these projects is to improve the country’s tarmac road network and increase efficiency in the transport and transportation sectors in order to stimulate production in the areas where they are passing,” he said.
“The move will ultimately accelerate the economic growth of the people living in those areas and the nation in general,” added Prof Mbarawa, who doubles as Mkoani Constituency Member of Parliament in Zanzibar.
He said most of the places where the roads are passing don’t contribute enough to the country’s economy due to poor roads and transportation that are impassable all year.
Furthermore, he said the government was making necessary efforts to ensure that all economic strategic areas are easily reached in order to accelerate the country’s economic growth.
“The road projects will stimulate the use of Tanzania ports by neighbouring countries, including Zambia, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan, therefore promoting economic growth through revenue collections from the ports,” he said.
Prof Mbarawa said the said road projects will simplify the transportation of citizens and goods, including forestry products, trade freights, food crops, and products of livestock and fisheries.
Other products are mineral raw materials such as coal, graphite, and iron ore from southern regions for domestic and foreign markets, something that will stimulate productivity and therefore increase government revenue.
“The government’s expectation is that upon completion of these projects, all places with good economic strategies will significantly attract domestic and foreign investment and create more jobs for Tanzanians,” he said.
Furthermore, Prof Mbarawa said the seven road projects will pass through 13 regions, namely: Morogoro, Ruvuma, Arusha, Manyara, Dodoma, Tanga, Singida, Mbeya, Songwe, Lindi, Mtwara, Simiyu, and Iringa.
“I call on the contractors to design and execute the projects professionally in order to complete them within the agreed upon or before time at the appropriate standards stipulated in the contracts,” he said.
Tanroads should organise itself to supervise the projects and ensure they are completed on time at specified standards,” said Prof Mbarawa.
For his part, Tanroads CEO Mohamed Besta said yesterday they signed contracts with four contractors, including the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) that is collaborating with the China Railway 19th Bureau Group Corporation Ltd. (CR19).
Others are Sinohydro Corporation Ltd., China Overseas Engineering Group Co. Ltd. (COVEC), in collaboration with the China Railway, Engineering Group Co. Ltd. (CREC4), as well as the China Railway Company 15th Bureau Group (CR15G).
Speaking during the event, Japhet Hasunga, Vwawa, CCM, called for accelerated implementation of the projects.
His Ndanda constituency counterpart, Cecil Mwambe, said the compensation process should be done in accordance with the laws and procedures for affected victims to benefit.
Additional Reporting, Hellen Nachilongo
