Dar es Salaam — Tanzania has signed a Sh146.47 billion grant for two major infrastructure projects.
Finance and
Planning ministry permanent secretary Dotto James inked the deal on
behalf of the Tanzanian government while China's ambassador to Tanzania
Wang Ke on signed on behalf of her country.
Speaking after
signing event, Mr James clarified that the cash was a grant and not a
loan and that it would be spent on two infrastructure projects,
including the construction of a national university of transport to be
constructed at Mabibo in Dar es Salaam at a cost of $62 million,
equivalent to Sh138.3 billion.
In the second
project, a total of Sh3.2 billion will be spent on a feasibility study
of a new Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.
Mr James explained
that currently the construction of SGR had already started and would be
done in two phases--starting from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro and from
Morogoro to Makutopora in Dodoma.
According to Mr
James, the feasibility study, which would be carried out by China, would
involve other phases of the SGR construction including starting from
Dodoma to Tabora to Mwanza and from Tabora to Kigoma via Kaliua.
"China has assisted
us in many projects including the Chalinze Water Project, the National
Stadium, Morogoro Agricultural Centre, the Centre for Training and
Cardiac Surgery, Mwalimu Nyerere International Conference Centre, drug
aids and medical equipment," said Mr James
For her part, Ms
Wang Ke said her government hoped to see that the grant helped
strengthen development and assist Tanzania in getting development
quickly.
She added that
China would keep cooperating with Tanzania in implementing various
development projects that would benefit Tanzanians and sustain bilateral
relations between the two.
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