Dar gets Sh342 billion WB loan to upgrade key road

 

Minister for Finance William Mgimwa 

By  Sturmius Mtweve 

In Summary

• He noted that the fund would also be used in improving road safety and traffic conditions by conducting road safety audits and capacity management reviews in a bid to curb the impact of HIV/Aids and other diseases made worse by inefficient transport.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania and the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) yesterday signed a $210 million (about Sh341.61 billion) loan agreement to facilitate the implementation of the Southern Africa trade and transport system.

The loan, according to minister for Finance William Mgimwa, will be used to improve physical infrastructures with a focus on upgrading and rehabilitation of the 140km Mafinga-Igawa highway covering Iringa and Mbeya regions respectively, along the Dar es Salaam corridor. “In this project, we also aspire to improve the Songwe-Kasumulu border post by building a one-stop centre to facilitate an easy movement between Tanzania and its neighbours,” said Dr Mgimwa at the signing ceremony in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

He noted that the fund would also be used in improving road safety and traffic conditions by conducting road safety audits and capacity management reviews in a bid to curb the impact of HIV/Aids and other diseases made worse by inefficient transport.

“This support has come at a time when the government is in a critical need of implementing interventions to facilitate the movement of goods and people along the North-South Corridor to enable Tanzania to become the transport and logistics hub for neighbouring countries,” said Dr Mgimwa

The minister said that apart from facilitating movement, the Southern Africa Trade and Transport Project aims at opening up doors for other countries in the region to use the available trade outlets and cement ties in the Southern corridor. He said the loan would also be used in supporting integration efforts in both the Sadc and the East African regions as well strengthening the intra-African trade relations that encourage exportation and importation of goods and services.

In making the initiative effective, the minister said, all the relevant institutions like the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Tanroads, the Tanzania Commission for Aids and the ministry of Health and Social Welfare would be involved in designing the best ways the project would be implemented.

“We are thankful over the cooperation we have been receiving from the World Bank, and I would like to assure that the loan will be used to cater for the intended purpose and not otherwise,” affirmed Dr Mgimwa who added that Tanzania’s strong partnership with the world financial prefect would be maintained.