THE African Development Bank has approved 415.3 billion shillings loan to the government for finance construction of 110 kilometres ring-road around the Dodoma city, President John Magufuli has revealed.
Speaking to workers during the International Workers’ Day marked at the national level in Mbeya, he said the bank approved the loan on Tuesday.
“And for your information, yesterday (Tuesday 30th April), African Development Bank had approved 415.3 billion loan to Tanzania that will be used to construct 110 kilometres of ring-road around Dodoma city and it will be four-lane road,” said President Magufuli.
According to ESIA summary of the project seen by the ‘Daily News’, the project road starts at V eyula settlement located along the Dodoma – Kondoa trunk road and traverses southeast towards Ihumwa settlement located along Dodoma – Morogoro trunk road.
From Ihumwa the project road traverses towards south to the Matumbulu settlement along Dodoma – Iringa trunk road then it precedes northwest to Nala settlement located along Dodoma – Singida trunk road before it completes the ring at Veyula.
When the ring road is completed, it shall allow traffic not destined for Dodoma City to bypass the City along a number of high-speed freeways in a quick and easy fashion.
It is expected that heavy vehicles entering the Dodoma City from the four main trunk roads will be diverted into the ring road either to bypass Dodoma completely or to transfer to another radial route to suit their eventual destination and in doing so avoid the town centre.
There will also be transfer of traffic to the ring road from the traffic that currently uses a network of roads within the town.
President Magufuli said that the government has invested up to 1.2 trillion shillings to improve the country’s major ports as part of the preparations of reaping blue economy benefits .
The amount was spent to expand ship and cargo handling capacity of the Dar es Salaam, Mtwara and Tanga ports.
“The government has also spent 287.9 billion shillings in purchasing new ships which will offer services in Lakes V ictoria, Nyasa and Tanganyika of which their assembling is progressing.”
Dr Magufuli said that on fishing and other marine activities, the government would continue to invest in the sector as per available resources.
He revealed that currently it has completed the process of revamping Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI) which has the role of promoting, conducting and managing fisheries research and consultancy for sustainable development of fisheries in Tanzania.
Earlier, the General Secretary of Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) Yahya Msigwa in his speech of commemorating workers’ day advised that the government’s efforts of investing in big infrastructures should go in hand with setting environment for reaping benefits of the maritime economy.
“The government should consider purchasing or leasing sea ships which will facilitate fishing, cargo transport and therefore extend employment to Tanzanian seamen than leaving opportunity to foreigners in the envisaged middle industrial economy” Yahaya said that even though Tanzania has a 1,440km long coast along the Indian Ocean which can promote fishing and fishing industries along the coast line, there were no single fish processing factory due to low catches associated with absence of large fishing ships.
