Tazara's future is bright and promising, says MD

By The guardian reporter

Ronald Phiri, TAZARA Managing Director

The future of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) is very bright and promising, the company’s Managing Director has affirmed.

Eng Ronald Phiri made the assertion to a delegation of officials from China who visited the authority to check on the progress of the projects financed through the 14th and 15th Protocols on Economic and Technical Co-operation.

He said he had a lot of hope and confidence that given the appropriate equipment and financial support to bring about the desired transformation, the future of Tazara was great and promising.

“Personally, I have a lot of hope because I meet many potential customers and companies who express strong desire to completely do away with road transportation and move to rail transportation, which is a strong indication of the potential market for Tazara,” said Eng. Phiri in a statement availed to this paper yesterday.

“However, it is saddening to note that we are currently failing to meet the expectations of the few clients under our care in terms of transit times, predictability and reliability due to frequent breakdowns and disruptions in our operations, which is a consequence of the rundown equipment and infrastructure.
Otherwise, the future is great given we are well equipped,” he said.

For her part, the Chinese delegation leader, Chen Rong who is the Division Director from the Executive Bureau of International and Economic Co-operation in the Ministry of Commerce, said the Chinese people fully appreciated Tazara as a great symbol of friendship and co-operation amongst the three countries, China, Tanzania and Zambia.

She said that China would always support the authority in the form of limited aid.
“However, the assistance from China cannot solve all the problems of Tazara, although we hope this limited aid can help to resolve some of the most critical challenges,” she said.

Eng. Phiri observed that limited as it was, the aid from China had always come in hand and was what kept Tazara going even in times when the company could otherwise have ground to a halt.

Eng. Phiri cited the example of the recent past when Tazara was running with six to ten locomotives, but with the utilisation of spare parts procured under the 14th Protocol, the available fleet of locomotives increased to an average of 12 locomotives per day and was further boosted to over 18 locomotives per day following the receipt of six brand new locomotives in the last three months, also supplied under the 14th Protocol.

The visit to Tazara by the Chinese delegation was a routine tour meant to facilitate the inspection of the progress on the Protocol Projects that are currently running under the 14th Protocol, signed in 2009 and is nearing completion, and the 15th Protocol, signed in March 2012 and whose projects’ implementation has recently commenced.

Since inception, Tazara has been receiving regular financial support from the Chinese government through what is termed as “Protocols of Economic and Technical Co-operation” signed with Tanzania and Zambia in the form of interest free loans, the 14th Protocol having been signed in December 2009, followed by the 15th protocol in March 2012.  

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN