Road contractors in Tanzania will be paid, the government has announced. Money will also be released release for the completion of construction works on the 330 kilometer road in Kigoma Region.
Works, Transport and Communication Deputy Minister, Mr Edwin Ngonyani, told the National Assembly yesterday that the government has embarked on a mission to clear all the debts to allow contractors to carry on with their contractual obligations.
He was reacting to some questions, both supplementary and basic, by Josephine Genzaguke (Special Seats-CCM), who sought to know when the construction work of Kidahwe-Kasulu-Nyakanazi road will be completed.
The deputy minister said that the construction of 330km Kigoma-Kidahwe-Kasulu-Nyakanazi road and its tarmac was being done in phases depending on availability of money. Mr Ngonyani added that part of the road between Kigoma and Kidahwe a spanning a distance of 28.2km has been built at tarmac level and has already been completed.
He disclosed further that the construction on the part starting from Kidahwe to Kasuru, a total of 50km and that of Kibondo-Kakonko-Nyakanazi, a further total of 50km is underway. Furthermore the deputy minister added that the verification of feasibility study and detail survey of the remaining part from Nyakanazi and Kasulu together with Kasulu-Manyovu road with a total of 250km is expected to begin in April, this year.
He added that the verification would be funded by the NEPAD through Africa Development Bank under the umbrella of coordination of East African Community Secretariat. The Tanzanian government has a debt of US$909.2 billion putting its ambitions for road network expansion at risk. The situation has already worried donars who say the situation is getting out of control if the government does not take urgent remedial actions. Transport sector representative of the developing partner groups Mr. Yuzuru Ozeki describe the situation as daunting during a meeting of stakeholders.
