TANZANIA MAIN BENEFICIARY OF EA ROAD PROJECTS

 

Tanzania remains the main beneficiary of major infrastructure projects to be implemented next financial year in East Africa.

Scores of multi-million dollar paved roads funded by the development partners will traverse the second largest country in the bloc.

This is contained in the East African Community (EAC) budget which was tabled in the Regional Parliament in Arusha last week.

The $ 91.5million budget was read before the  East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) last Thursday four days before the government's estimates are tabled in the National Assembly in Dodoma on Tuesday June 14,2022. 

Although the EAC road projects are jointly implemented, they are factored in Tanzania's overall development projects in Finance and Planning minister Mwigulu Nchemba speech on June 14th.

These include the 400km long multinational road from Bagamoyo to Malindi in Kenya through Pangani, Tanga, Horohoro, Mombasa and Malindi.

Construction was made possible after the two governments secured a 375 million Euro financial package from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union.

Other multinational roads under construction are those linking Tanzania and Burundi, covering a total of 305km.

These are the Kabingo-Kasulu-Manyovu (260km) and Gitaza-Rumonge (45km) in Burundi, being built through $322.3million grants and loans from AfDB.

Tanzania has also secured funding from the World Bank for the construction of the 92km Lusahunga-Rusumo road that will link with Kayonza-Kigali road in Rwanda.

Procurement of contractors is currently going on for the Tanzania section while resource mobilization is being undertaken on the Rwanda side.

Tanzania will also benefit from regional projects being coordinated by the EAC and which will link the country with Uganda.

These are the 90km Mutukula-Kyaka and the 163km Bugene-Kasulo-Kumunazi multinational roads being funded by a grant from AfDB.

Implementation started upon completion of the feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs by consultants in December 2020.

According to the EAC budget estimates, two of the three meteorological stations to be expanded during 2022/23 will be in Tanzania.

This is expected to improve the Early Warning Systems for severe weather incidents such as thunderstorms and strong winds.

The EAC budget estimates were presented by Ms Betty Maina, the chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Kenya Cabinet for Trade, Industrialization and Enterprise Development.

According to her, the East African economies registered increased growth last year despite the devastating impact of Covid-19 in 2020.

The growth averaged 5.9 percent in 2021 compared to an average of 2.3 percent in 2020 when the pandemic hit the region.

The speedy recovery is largely attributed to public investments and strong performance in the productive sectors.

The growth (in 2021) was also largely supported by increased removal of Covid-19 related restrictions, mainly in the travel sector.

However, compared to 2021, projections are that the economic growth in the EAC bloc will decrease to 5.3 percent this year.

But the growth will be on an upward trend again, hitting 5.7 percent next year (2023), according to projections

Some $37.4 million of the total spending of $ 91.5million by the EAC and its organs and institutions will be raised by the development partners.