Africa-Press – Tanzania. AS the government continues to spend billions of shillings on implementing various infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing service delivery across the country, lawmakers have urged the state to strengthen efforts to ensure their sustainability for the benefit of future generations.
Members of Parliament raised the concern in the National Assembly in Dodoma on Friday during debate on the recently tabled 12.5tri/- Prime Minister’s Office budget estimates for the 2026/27 financial year.
They also proposed that the government should adopt strategies that would enable implementation of projects without requiring major upgrades and frequent maintenance.
Contributing to the debate on the Premier’s Office spending plan, Bunda Urban Member of Parliament Ms Ester Bulaya (CCM) acknowledged that the government is currently implementing various infrastructure projects, particularly in the country’s commercial hub of Dar es Salaam, noting that “everywhere you go, people are at work.”
“But have we asked ourselves how are we going to protect this infrastructure?” the outspoken lawmaker queried. On the matter, she suggested that as the country embarks on implementing the National Development Vision 2050, the government should establish a special fund, backed by law, for the maintenance and protection of infrastructure.
The MP said that after reviewing the previous Prime Minister’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG) budget, she noted that eight projects worth 8.9tri/- had been implemented. With these mega projects in place, the legislator said the question remains: “How are we going to protect them to sustain their quality?
I am raising this because government buildings are supposed to last for at least 55 years. They will not last if we do not set aside sufficient funds for maintenance.” She added that lawmakers will be remembered by future generations, particularly through the implementation of Dira 2050, by initiating strategies to maintain the country’s infrastructure, including roads and buildings.
On his part, Chamazi MP Abdallah Chaurembo (CCM) suggested that for road projects to last longer and reduce the need for frequent maintenance, they should be constructed comprehensively at once. He said that if a 100-kilometre road network requires over 100bn/-, municipal authorities should be allowed to borrow funds to implement the project and repay the loans within a specified period.
The lawmaker said a lump sum approach would enable the government to execute projects to the required standards at once and avoid frequent maintenance.
“Our local governments set aside a lot of money for regular road maintenance. But if roads are upgraded to tarmac standard, we can avoid unnecessary maintenance costs because they will have been built to the required standards,” he insisted.
In his contribution, Nanyumbu MP Dr Yahaya Nawanda asked the Prime Minister to explain how the government plans to rehabilitate roads damaged by rains across the country.
He cited Newala District Council, which has a 969-kilometre road network maintained by the Tanzania Rural Roads Agency, noting that roads in other areas, including Singida Region, have also been affected. He urged the Prime Minister to outline strategies to address the challenges when winding up the debate.
