Tanzania: Tba Told to Be Innovative in Govt City Designing

By Daily News Reporter in Dodoma

LAWMAKERS have told Tanzania Building Agency (TBA) to be more innovative or adopt the

finest practices of architectural designs of the new government city from the world's best-planned cities.

Infrastructure Development Committee members voiced their views after touring the government city at Mtumba on the outskirts of Dodoma Central Business District.

They said as the government moved closer to building its permanent structures, TBA must conduct research and develop a variety of architectural designs for the second phase of the project.

TBA had offered designs for buildings and was supervising all contractors while also being involved in the construction of the President's Office (Public Service Management and Good Governance) structure. The entire project was completed and launched by President John Magufuli in April last year.

Speaking after the site visit, the committee chairman, Mr Selemani Kakoso, said TBA must learn from big cities in Africa and other countries that had gone through a similar process.

Travel trivia, a popular website recently released its ranking of the six well-planned cities in the world. It named Brasilia (Brazil), Chandigarh (India), Singapore City (Singapore), Seoul (South Korea), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Washington, DC (USA) as the world's most well-planned cities.

Nevertheless, countries such as Nigeria moved its capital to Abuja from Lagos, Kazakhstan (Almaty to Nur-Sultan), Brazil (Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia) and Myanmar (Yangon to Naypyidaw). The committee said in the meantime TBA must work on planting shade and fruit trees as part of the beautification of the new government city.

According to Mr Kakoso, Dodoma's soil texture can accommodate any plant. "You have to learn from others who have also moved their capital cities...this is good to be able to have the finest designs ahead of the second phase of the task," he said.

Meanwhile, the committee asked TBA to present a fresh plan that would help collect its outstanding debts.

TBA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Daudi Kondoro told the MPs that the first phase of the project involved architectural designs of buildings seating on 1,000 square metres.

He said the plan of the structures was to house top and senior managers of the ministry who included the minister and his deputy, the permanent secretary and his deputy and head of departments.

"At least 22 buildings have so far been completed with each costing 1bn/- excluding outdoor activities and ICT installation," he said. "The work was commissioned by eight contractors."

They included TBA, CSWS, Suma JKT, Mzinga Holdings Co, National Housing Corporation (NHC), Prisons, Workers Housing Corporation and the Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST).