Kigamboni Bridge brilliant, but will the pensioners paying for it make a dime?

 

By Victor Karega
The Citizen Correspondent

Dar es Salaam. 

Although the construction of the multi-billion-shilling Kigamboni Bridge project is expected to have a huge impact on the economy, there are concerns as to whether there will be any benefits for the members of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), which is the financier.

Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Infrastructure raised this same question just recently. The MP for Ileje, Mr Aliko Kibona, said NSSF has spent a lot of money on this big project and it should be transparent and let members know how they will benefit.

According to chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Mr Peter Serukamba, it is high time NSSF came clean and told its members the truth and explained how they will benefit from projects such as the Kigamboni Bridge.

The Sh214 billion bridge, which is considered an engineering masterpiece, is being constructed by China Railway Engineering Company and will be ready in 2015.

It is financed to the tune of 60 per cent by NSSF, with the government funding the balance. NSSF Director-General Ramadhan Dau says members of the fund enjoy seven benefits, including medical cover and pensions.

The 600-metre bridge will be the main crossing for residents of Kigamboni in Temeke district and reduce traffic jams at the ferry crossing. It is an important development at a time when the government intends to build Kigamboni satellite city, which will eventually accommodate 450,000 people—up from the present 45,000. It will also create many opportunities in real estate and the service sector, given the anticipated new residents.

When the bridge is completed, it will also enhance the free movement of goods and people and create more than 2,000 jobs, says Mr Dau.

Minister for Works John Magufuli says Kigamboni Bridge will boost communication, ease transportation and create employment opportunities for city residents and those living in the neighbourhood.

Workers in the formal and informal sectors are bound to benefit too from the massive development of a residential complex and business hub—and it will also hopefully divert some of the city traffic by offering an alternative route into the suburbs.

Transport experts reckon that the bridge has the potential to reduce transport problems, cost and time as well as customs administrative formalities between the two sides.

It will also enhance the potential for trade, thereby contributing to poverty reduction and socio-economic empowerment of communities in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam.

The head of communication in the ministry of Works, Mr Martin Mtemo, says it is a good move coming at the right time and it will benefit both residents and the city in general.

Motorists will pay a road toll when crossing and pedestrians and cyclists will go free, according to Tanroads Chief Executive Patrick Mfugale.