- SGR, FLYOVERS AND MEGA ROAD PROJECTS ON THE SPOTLIGHT
- MINISTRY UNVEILS MASSIVE 4.5TRL BUDGET
THE Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication has unveiled a massive 4.5trl/- budget, which among other things, will cover flagship infrastructure development in the 2017/2018 fiscal year.
This means, the government will be spending almost 45 per cent of its budget as development expenditure in infrastructure.
However, the figure represents a drop of
almost 400bn/- compared to the 2016/2017 budget, in which 4.9trl/- was
set aside for the same purpose.
Presenting the budget estimates
yesterday, the Minister, Prof Makame Mbarawa, said that out of the
amount, the transport sector will take a huge chunk, totalling 2.5trl/-,
while 1.9trl/- is for works sector and the remaining 18bn/- is reserved
for communication sector.
Among areas of priority, is 900bn/- for
the construction of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Morogoro to
Dodoma. In the current financial year, the government has allocated
1tril/- to cover the Dar es Salaam -Morogoro patch, in which President
John Magufuli, has already laid a foundation stone and the project, is
ongoing.
Minister Mbarawa further said that
during the next financial year, the government has set aside 200bn/- for
rehabilitation of Dar es Salaam-Isaka central railway, which will
include bridges and culverts and to rehabilitate railway lines within
Dar es Salaam Port.
He said the projects will be supported
by the World Bank. Another project highlights in transport sector to be
covered during the 2017/2018 fiscal year is 187bn/- for the
modernisation and expansion of the Dar es Salaam Port and a sum of
87bn/- for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Terminal at Mtwara Port.
Minister Mbarawa said 500bn/- has been
allocated for the continued revival of the national carrier - Air
Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL). During the next fiscal year, Prof
Mbarawa said, the amount will be used for the acquisition of three new
aircrafts, which include two CS 300 with the capacity to carry 127
passengers each and one long haul Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with the
capacity to carry 262 passengers.
"The funds will also be spent on
providing insurance cover, training of pilots, engineers, cabin crew,
start up costs as well as down payment for another Boeing 787
(Dreamliner)," he told the House, insisting that the government was
committed to see ATCL fully back into the air and operating profitably.
Other areas include: 35bn/- set aside
for the construction of Terminal Three at the Julius Nyerere
International Airport (JNIA), 32.5bn/- for rehabilitation and upgrading
of Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), in which 5bn/- is from
internal source and the remaining 27.5bn/- from the Netherlands
Development Fund (ORIO). The ongoing project is being carried out by
Netherlands-based construction company BAM International.
The government has also allocated
23.5bn/- for the improvement of Mwanza Airport. He said the funds will
cover initial work for the construction of a new passengers' terminal,
extension of runway and cargo terminal, while another 5.5bn/- will
enable undertaking of feasibility study for the construction of Msalato
Airport in the designated capital of Dodoma and 1.1bn/- for upgrading
and rehabilitation of Dodoma Airport. Most of the funding for these
projects comes from the government's own sources.
In works sector, the Minister said,
priorities will be on improving the road networks countrywide, in which
12.8bn/- has been allocated for compensation to people, who will be
affected by Dar es Salaam-Chalinze -Morogoro Expressway project
(DSM-Chalinze Section - 144 kilometres).
The project which will later stretch up
to Morogoro, covering another 200 kilometres will be undertaken through
Public Private Partnership (PPP). The list also includes backlog
rehabilitation of Mlandizi-Chalinze road which will cost 2.1bn/-.
Another highlight is 25.9bn/- set aside for final payment of contractors
and consultant engineer, who carried out 64km Wazo Hill-Bagamoyo-Msata
road project including lower Ruvu Bridge.
The amount will also cover initial
preparations for the construction of Bagamoyo-Saadan-Tanga (178km)
including Pangani and Lower Wami bridges. Minister Mbarawa further said
that his ministry has set aside 5.9bn/- in the next financial year, to
procure a ferry to ply between Kogongo-Busisi, 333m/- to procure another
ferry (170 tones) to ply between Magogoni and Kigamboni, 300m/- to
carry out expansion of Kigamboni ferry terminal side. On rehabilitation
of ferries, the Minister said, 600m/- will be spent on rehabilitating MV
Kigamboni, 610m/- to rehabilitate MV Misungwi and 500m/- for
rehabilitation of MV Sengerema.
Rehabilitation of MV Pangani will cost
196m/-. On the construction of government houses, the ministry has set
aside 795m/- for government tied quarters for judges’ residences in Dar
es Salaam, Kagera, Mtwara, Kilimanjaro, Shinyanga by June, next year.
Another 100m/- has been set aside to
conduct monitoring and evaluation of construction and maintenance
projects for government leaders' houses by June, next year. A sum of
100m/- is set aside for the construction of houses for former Magomeni
quarters residents in Kinondoni, 600m/- to rehabilitate government
leaders' houses in Dodoma and 500m/- to construct TEMESA’s new workshops
in Songwe, Simiyu, Geita, Njombe and Katavi regions.
On construction of bridges, the Minister
said 26bn/- has been allocated in which some of the major projects
include 4.3bn/- for the construction of new Wami Bridge, 3.4bn/- for
construction of Kilombero Bridge, 3.2bn/- for construction of Sibiti
Bridge along Ulemo-Gumanga-Sibiti road, 1.6bn/- for the Ruhuhu Bridge
and 2.15bn/- for rehabilitation of Kirumi Bridge.
Others include 3bn/- for construction of
Momba Bridge, 1bn/- for Mlalakuwa Bridge, 1.17bn/- for a feasibility
study and detailed design of the Kigongo/Busisi Bridge, 762m/- for
design and construction of Simiyu Bridge and 471m/- for construction of
Kavuu Bridge along Majimoto-Inyonga road.
The Minister also spoke enthusiastically
on decongestion of Dar es Salaam roads, where 12bn/- has been allocated
for various projects both ongoing and new. These include a 9km stretch
of Kimara-Kilungule-External, where 979m/- has been set aside, another
1.16bn/- is allocated for Mbezi-Malambamawili-Kinyerezi-Banana stretch
which covers 14km.
Another 20km stretch connecting
Tegeta-Kibaoni-Wazo Hill-Goba-Mbezi has been allocated 870m/-. The
government also set aside 1.9bn/- for Kibamba-Kisopwa-Kwembe-Makondeko
road stretch, 1bn/- for widening of Mwai Kibaki road, 1.29bn/- for
Kongowe-jimwema-Kivukoni Ferry road.
Minister Mbarawa also said that 46.9bn/-
has been allocated for Dar es Salaam flyovers, in which a sum of
25.5bn/- is for the construction of the ongoing TAZARA flyover and
20.3bn/- for Ubungo interchange.
Another 1bn/- is for improvement of
intersections at KAMATA, Magomeni, Mwenge, Tabata/Mandela, Salander/UN
roads, Mbezi Mwisho, Buguruni and Morocco.
No comments:
Post a Comment