AfricaPress-Tanzania: FRANCE has extended a euro 150m (over 400bn/-) loan to Tanzania for the development of the fifth phase of the Dar es Salaam Rapid Transport (DART) project.
The pledge was made by French Ambassador Frederic Clavier in a meeting with the Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation minister, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi in his city office early this week.
Prof Kabudi said his discussions with Ambassador Clavier dwelt on the implementation of projects that were discussed when he visited France last month.
“Our discussions dwelt on implementation of what we agreed on in France, including speeding up procedures at the development agency AFD (French Agency for Development) to release funds for execution of the fifth phase of the rapid transit project,” he stated.
The talks also covered quickening projects in energy, water, health and agriculture sectors, he elaborated.
“We also discussed on ways of helping the Union and Zanzibar governments’ blue economy efforts, intended to empower Tanzania to fish, process and export the commodity, also empowering small and medium scale fishermen with needed skills,
This will bring in large investors in the fisheries industry to develop the blue economy, he said, noting that the two countries similarly agreed on auxiliary aspects to blue economy like culture, language, socio-economic development of ordinary people where carrying out the project.
In his meeting with European Union Ambassador Manfredo Fanti, the minister aired a number of cooperation issues with the EU, and obtained pledges for six projects which will obtain funding from the EU.
“We also agreed to reinforce our relations in industrial development, improving the business environment, tackle climate change, enhance agriculture, water, infrastructure and ensuring that Tanzania improves energy production capacity,” he specified.
For his part, Ambassador Frederic Clavier said that talks with Prof Kabudi had ushered in a new step in relations between the two countries.
“Our conversation was warm, and shows that Tanzania is the best friend and ally in this era. The country is democratic, stable and peaceful and France will continue to work closely with Tanzania in a win-win situation,” he declared.
After AFD showed interest in investing in the fifth phase of DART, six French senators toured the DART corridor from Morocco bus stop to the Kivukoni terminal a year ago to familiarize themselves with the project before making a final decision on its financing.
Phase III covers 24.2 kilometers of road stretches including Nyerere Road, Uhuru Street, Shaurimoyo Street, Lindi Street, Bibi Titi Road, Azikiwe Street, and Maktaba Street and is financed by the World Bank.
Phase IV which covers 26.4 kilometers proceeding from Bagamoyo Road at Tegeta to Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road, Bibi Titi Road and Sam Nujoma Road was also discussed.
The conceptual design of the DART project in six phases was done in 2005 with the first phase starting in 2010. Completion of the project was set for February 2016 followed by the start of bus operations in May 2016 under an interim service arrangement, officials noted.
