AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) House is set to be one of the most famous icons in Arusha, and will be used to attract more tourists in the country.
Construction of the 17- storey building that started on January 18 and will take 30 months, is being undertaken by PAPU and the Tanzania government through the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA).
Six months after the construction began, the work is proceeding well in its initial stages during which 56 Tanzanian workers are engaged, but will in later stages involve hundreds more, thereby creating employment and income to many Tanzanians.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication (Communication), Dr Zainabu Chaula, toured the site and was pleased with the work progress.
Dr Chaula, who was accompanied by Deputy Permanent Secretary, Dr Jim Yonazi, said the construction that will cost 33.58bn/- is on the right course.
She explained that the building that is being constructed by Beijing Construction Engineering Company will have a special space for tourists and citizens to view various attractions, including Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru from the 15th floor.
Engineer Hanington Kagiraki, a consultant to the project, is a Tanzanian.
PAPU has 60 per cent stake in the structure while TCRA has the remaining 40 per cent. PAPU funds are from contributions of 45 member countries and Tanzania contributes 33, 000US$.
Benefits of the project include direct and indirect employment, use of local raw materials and equipment, local service providers such as banks, insurance, food, security, power, water and fuel all from within the country.
Students and graduates from Arusha Technical College also get chances for practical training and internship at the project.
Dr Yonazi said the project will change Arusha’s scenery, improve tourism activities and earn the country more foreign currencies.
He said the construction is expected to be completed by June 2022. PAPU Secretary General, Mr Younouss Djibrine, said the building will be one of the most famous in Arusha and that he was making regular follow-ups to ensure that the work proceeds well.
He hailed the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication for its dedication to the project.
Mr Djibrine said the house was one of big achievements of the Fifth Phase Government, hailing President John Magufuli for facilitating its takeoff, having been planned since the First Phase Government of the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
The building will have conference halls, restaurants, banks, parking areas and other facilities.
Engineer Kagiraki said they have already installed 14 columns on 19 metres under the earth, work was going on well and they had taken caution of the fact that Arusha was in the Rift Valley and thus prone to earthquakes.
PAPU, a specialised institution of the African Union (AU) responsible for the promotion and development of postal services on the continent, was founded in 1980.
It is also responsible for supporting African countries in developing strategies and policies to improve access to information and communication infrastructure and services on the continent.
