Tanzania to Spend $5 Billion on Transport Upgrade

[MaxShimba]

Tanzania to Spend $5 Billion on Transport Upgrade (Update1)


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By Ray Naluyaga
Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Tanzania will spend $5 billion over the next five years to upgrade its transport system, Infrastructure Development Minister Shukuru Kawambwa said.

The project is part of the East African nation’s transport investment program, which will run over two five-year phases and will develop roads, ports, railways, airports and ferries, Kawambwa said at a conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam today.

“It is expected that by 2018, all trunk roads will be paved, thus enabling all regional centers to be linked with paved roads and all district headquarters to be linked with all weather roads,” he said.

Due to low levels of investment, Tanzania’s transport infrastructure is inadequate to cope with growing demand, Kawambwa said.

The government can “ill afford” to develop the system alone, and needs to partner with the private investors, he said, without adding more detail.

The country is in talks with the Japanese government to secure funds to build flyovers in Dar es Salaam to ease traffic congestion, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said on July 27.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ray Naluyaga in Dar es Salaam via Johannesburg on 1999 or pmrichardson@bloomberg.net

 

[Lunanilo]

wana kazi ngumu sana has barabara za mijini, msongamano wa magari unaleta hasara sana. barabara zilijengwa bila kuangalia mbele (forecast), kama kulikuwa na forecast basi iliundesestimate sana uwingi wa magari. Hakuna ramps na vitu vingine vinavyorahisisha mtiririko wa magari. Huko vijijini ndiyo usiseme,ingefaa sana kama wangelitilia hili suala la usafiri maanani.

 

[bm21]

According to a World Bank study (2008) entitled Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic: Transport: Roads, Railways, Ports, Airports, Urban Transport, it is estimated that Tanzania will need to invest at least USD 12,989 million in order to meet the basic scenario i.e. accessibility standards applicable to developed and Middle Income developing countries that will increase Tanzania’s competitiveness of the economy and to improve social cohesiveness.

It can be urged that, investment can not be judged by the World Bank or one can say the World Bank is not a perfect judge of the investment need either. Nevertheless, the investment proposed by the Bank is just to meet the basic accessibility applicable to developed and middle income countries. It is worth also noting that, this amount proposed by the Bank is still questionable if really it can assist Tanzania to meet basic assessibility standard comparable to developed and middle income countries. Any one who have been to any of the developed countries can witness what I am saying here.

A Government 5 year plan to invest USD 5 billion, which is 50% of the Banks proposed spending on road to me sounds ridiculous and lack of seriousness to our planners at the Ministry. Tanzania has a total road network length of 86,472km. Current statistics shows that only 7% is paved. This means 93% of the total network is unpaved. The Minister says the USD 5billion spending will result into all Trunk road to be paved. It is worth to note that Trunk road is just 12% of the total network. More importantly is that Trunk road accounts 5% of the paved network. In other words out of the 7% paved road in Tanzania 5% is Trunk road.

About 56,000km of District, Urban and Feeder roads in Tanzania is still unpaved. These are actually the most important roads if we are to address poverty in Rural areas. What Tanzania is ought to do is not a knew thing in this world, China is good example to this, similarly, India followed Chinese model. The ministry just need to come up with a realistic investment need which will address poverty issued in rural areas as well as increasing national productivity. My take is that, the proposed $5 billion spending is just enough for maintenance work we need a PROPER PLAN for road investment.

 

[Dingswayo]

Wafufue na kuimarisha usafiri wa reli. Usafiri huu ni muhimu kwa maendeleo ya nchi kwani hubeba bidhaa nyingi kwa njia rahisi, na jamii ziishizo kando ya reli hunufaika.

 

[bm21]

Wafufue na kuimarisha usafiri wa reli. Usafiri huu ni muhimu kwa maendeleo ya nchi kwani hubeba bidhaa nyingi kwa njia rahisi, na jamii ziishizo kando ya reli hunufaika.

Well, that's good idea too. But the proposed amount is too little and does not reflect to actual need for Tanzanian infrastructure. Rail infrastructure on the the other are far costly to road infrastructure. Let then sit down and come up with new feasible plan

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

TANZANIA ADMITS PROBLEMS According to The Citizen the government has admitted that poor rail infrastructure is to blame for the inefficiency of Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL).
“Speaking to The Citizen [published in Dar-es-Salaam], at the ministry of finance and economic affairs pavilion on the eve of the 33rd Dar-es-Salaam international trade fair, publicity and regulatory manager with the Consolidated Holding Corporation (CHC) Joseph Mapunda said poor infrastructure of the central railway line has been the reason behind the lack of quick results at TRL [Tanzania Railways Limited].” The paper quoted Mapunda saying that in order for the company to improve transport services along the central railway, the line needed to be renovated. 

”People should understand that TRL is a joint venture company owned by the government and investors, where the government owns 49% and investors 51%”, Mapunda explained, with efficiency dependent upon the condition of the infrastructure. The government owns 100% of the old infrastructure.” On this, he pointed out, the investor is required to provide services.

CHC, the Citizen explains, has been involved in the privatising of loss-making state-owned enterprises since 1992, when the Presidential Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC) was established. Before the privatisation process started, the paper says, “there were over 400 non-profit companies which depended on subsidies; these were costing the government over $US100 million every year, At least 270 loss-making public companies have been privatised.”

 

[Koba]

siamini chochote cha maana kinaweza kufanywa na hawa mafisadi,ukiona mradi umefanikiwa pale ujue wenyewe wanaotoa $$ wamesimamia kila kitu sio hawa majambazi!

 

[MaxShimba]

Wamisri walifikia wakati wa kuvunja majumba, na kujenga barabara za kuaminika na fly overs, mpaka trains.

Hapa kwetu, kaazi kweli kweli, labda, wavunje, kama walivyo fanya wakati ulee kule Ubungo, Baruti, Kimara, etc

Ipo reli kutoka Ubungo mpaka pale Tazara/Buguruni, waziimarishe na kukonect na reli ya kati mpaka mjini, Police Central. It is cheaper and faster. If possible waweke nyingine toka mjini mpaka Mbagala. Miji Mikuu mingi inasaidiwa na train kwa usafiri na sio daladala/buses. Wapeni kazi Wachina/Wajeremani watawakea magluv trains

Hakuna njia zaidi ya kubomoa au waweke fly overs sehemu kama Tazara, Ubungo, Kurasini mataa etc.