Africa-Press – Tanzania. WORKS and Transport Minister Prof Makame Mbarawa has directed that Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) and Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) Acts be reviewed to allow the private sector to support operational capacity of the two public entities.
He issued the directive over the weekend to the ministry’s transport sector docket during the 14th Annual Joint Transport Sector Review Meeting.
Prof Mbarawa conveyed the order through deputy minister Eng Godfrey Kasekenya, who represented him at the meeting.
The meeting, organised by the Ministry of Works and Transport in collaboration with President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government, was facilitated by Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (CC-TTFA).
Participants of the forum were drawn from the Government, Development Partners, Civil Societies, NGOs, financial institutions, Academia, Private Sector as well as representatives from regional organisations.
They examined, evaluated and deliberated various Transport Sector policies, management, development and operational issues on the sector challenges and ways to mitigate them in the agreed sector dialogue framework.
He said for quite a long time now, the road transport has been the dominant mode, accounting for over 80 per cent of passenger traffic and over 95 per cent of freight traffic resulting to premature deterioration of the road infrastructure.
One area that needs to be adopted by Construction Sector particularly on roads, ports and railway is through the use of modern technology by certifying the construction standards, he told stakeholders.
“My directive to the Works Sector is to ensure that the assigned contractor in any infrastructure project is fully certified to perform the assign assignment. The Government will not tolerate agencies that shall procure sub-standard contractor,” he stressed.
Representative of development partners participated in the meeting, Mr Ali Mwichande, said one of challenges in the transport sector was low participation of private sector, thus called for government invention to accelerate private sector involvement in the construction of transport infrastructures.
During its presentation, the ministry urged development partners to continue with their valuable support to implementation of development projects in Transport sector.
In 2020/2021, transport sector focused on improving the transport infrastructures and operations towards promoting industrialization in the country.
