A TOTAL of 200bn/- was disbursed by the government last week to settle arrears owed to contractors undertaking road construction projects in some parts of the country, legislators were told here.
The Minister for Works, Transport and
Communications, Prof Makame Mbarawa, made the revelation when responding
to a supplementary question by Special Seats MP, Ms Anna Lupembe, who
had complained of the slow pace on implementation of road projects.
“The government understands that the
projects have been slow in some areas and last week we disbursed 200bn/-
to enable contractors continue with the work,” Prof Mbarawa remarked.
The minister went on and directed
officials of the Tanzania Roads Agency (Tanroads) to visit sites where
construction work was undergoing since the contractors had been paid and
thus no excuse to stop working.
Ms Lupembe had specifically took issues
with a stretch of road connecting Sumbawanga in Rukwa Region and Mpanda
in Katavi Region which she claimed has been under construction for over
six years.
“With the ongoing rains which have
destroyed the already poor road network Katavi has literally been
disconnected from Tabora from where it sources most of its supplies,”
the MP lamented.
On the other hand, Prof Mbarawa said the
railway network linking Mpanda in Katavi to Tabora and Dodoma had been
put back to order to provide services. Part of the railway was washed
away by rains and made both train and road transport to Mpanda
impossible.
Earlier, Deputy Minister for Works,
Transport and Communications, Engineer Edwin Ngonyani, said construction
of the road linking Mpanda and Sumbawanga is being implemented in four
phases.
Responding to a basic question by Ms
Lupembe, the Deputy Minister mentioned the stages as Sumbawanga-Kanazi
(75km), Kanazi-Kizi-Kibaoni (76.6km), Kibaoni-Sitalike (72km) and
Sitalike-Mpanda (36km).
The Deputy Minister said implementation
of the project was satisfactory in three phases and expected to be
completed by the end of this year save for a portion of 20km between
Kibaoni and Sitalike. Eng. Ngonyani said the remaining part would be
constructed once funds are available.
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