Africa-Press – Tanzania. A total of seventeen mega flagship projects have featured in the government’s third Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III) that was launched recently in Dodoma by the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.
The plan which was prepared by the Ministry of Finance and Planning will be implemented from the current fiscal year (2021/22) to 2025/26 under the theme ‘Competitiveness and Industrialization for Human Development’.
Implementation of the strategic development projects aims at enabling the country to register positive multiplier effects to the rest of the economy, particularly for the areas that can foster the aspirated transition towards a competitive led export economy.
It is anticipated that the projects’ implementation will yield clear, and in some cases rapid tangible positive results in relation to the set objectives and targets of FYDP III.
According to the Finance and Planning Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, selection of these projects was based on their ability to cultivate and sustain a national system of competitiveness that leads to accelerated export orientation and diversification, economic growth and inclusive human development.
A list of strategic projects to be implemented by the government in the FYDP III is topped by the construction of a new central railway line to Standard Gauge (SGR).
This project entails the construction of nine lots including the completion of the ongoing Dar es Salaam – Morogoro (300 km) and Morogoro – Makotopora line that has 422 km.
By April this year, the construction of the 300km lot from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro was at 91 per cent, whereas the second lot from Morogoro to Makutopora was at 60.02 per cent.
The first phase of the SGR line between Dar es Salaam to Morogoro is set to start operations by the end of August this year, according to the Managing Director of Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) Masanja Kadogosa.
Other lots has the Makutupora – Tabora (294 km); Tabora –Isaka (133 km); Isaka – Mwanza (249 km); (Isaka – Rusumo 371 km); Tabora – Kigoma (411 km); Kaliua – Mpanda – Karema (321 km); and Keza – Ruvubu (36km).
Already, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has approved a total of 372.3bn/- as a starting budget for the construction of the Mwanza –Isaka SGR lot.
“Upon completion, this railway line is expected to link Tanzania with the land-locked neighboring countries and hence facilitate trade, a move that would contribute highly to economic growth,” reads part of the FYDP III report.
Apart from the central railway line, the government would also embark on the construction of the Southern Railway Line, a project that involves construction of a 1000km of SGR line from Mtwara to Mbamba bay with spurs to Liganga and Mchuchuma at a cost of 5.5tri/-.
The southern line SGR will also link the railway to the existing Tanzania Zambia Railway Line (Tazara) network.
Also plans are on card to start construction of a 1,223 km of SGR line of Tanga- Arusha- Musoma with branches to Minjingu and Engaruka at a cost of 14.1tri/-.
The FYDP III has also considered development of the energy sector for the aim of fostering the development of the industrial sector.
In this case, the government would pay attention to the construction of the ongoing Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) that will add some 2,115 megawatts to the national grid.
This will lower electricity power cost, in a move to stimulate the economy and encourage industrialization.
The project whose completion is set for June 2022 at a cost of 6.5tril/-, is undertaken jointly by the Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric companies all from Egypt.
It is under supervision of Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco), Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) and the ministry of Energy. For the financial year 2021/22, the government has allocated 1.4tri/- for the project which by May this year was at 52 per cent of implementation stage and had already absorbed a total of 2.49tri/-.
Going forward, the project implementation will focus on the construction of the main dam, spillways, tunnels, power house and switchyard.
From November 15, this year to April 23, next year, the exercise of filling 32.3 billion liters of water into the dam is expected to begin, followed by trials in May before going for full operations.
Alongside JNHPP, other energy projects to be implemented are Ruhudji Hydropower Project (358 megawatts) and Rumakali Hydropower Project (222 megawatts), both in Njombe Region.
The expansion of Tanzania ports for enhanced marine services was not left behind in the government’s plan for the next five years.
Here, the government has planned to expand the seaports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara as well as inland ports of Mwanza, Kigoma, Karema and Itungi, as well as starting the construction of the Bagamoyo Port with a target of reaching 20 per cent by the year 2025.
Moreover, the government would procure port handling facilities, procure and rehabilitate marine vessels and construct dry ports along Dar es Salaam and central corridors.
Other ports that are lined up for rehabilitation are those in Lake Nyasa, Tanganyika and Victoria, Commenting on the initiatives, Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (TUDARco) Lecturer Rachel Yusuph lauded the government for coming up with the strategic plans.
She was of the view that, with a total cooperation from all stakeholders, including the public, the government will be able to transform the county’s infrastructure sector for it to bring tangible benefits to the national economy and for the well-being of Tanzanians.
“These infrastructures are meant to open up and simplify business and movement of people and services within the country and even to the neighboring countries, they provide link between Tanzanians and neighbor countries on economic development aspects,” she explained.
Ms Rachel specifically mentioned the construction of the SGR line from Mtwara to Mbamba Bay that would also be connected to Liganga and Mchuchuma, where the country is embarking on extraction of coal and iron ore, vanadium and titanium in the twin schemes.
“As President Samia has been saying several times that implementation of Liganga Mchuchuma should commence with immediate effect, I can see the determination in her words that she is capable of fulfilling all the promises for the economic benefit of the country,” said Ms Yusuph.
The coal from Mchuchuma project will generate 600 megawatts, of which 300 megawatts will be for the Liganga Iron Project and the remaining 300 megawatts will be fed into the national grid. The project is expected to contribute to the country’s industrialization agenda, specifically cement, steel and fertilizer.
The projects are expected to be implemented by joint venture modality. For her part, the Chairperson of the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) Ms Angelina Ngalula apart from commending the government for implementing these projects, she called for effective participation of local content, a move that would help in transfer of technology and empower Tanzanians in the construction sector.
According to her, this will also play a great role in empowering the private sector for its members to participate in the national development through which, construction materials being produced within the country will get a reliable market.
She was optimistic that the highlighted projects would be accomplished in time for Tanzanians to start enjoying the outcome of the investments.
“We are confident that with the proper supervision of the government and effective participation of the private sector in the projects, the country will make a huge step in transforming the infrastructural sector,” she explained.
