Bashungwa highlights govt commitment to link border areas
KAGERA: THE Minister for Works, Mr Innocent Bashungwa has highlighted the government’s commitment to link border areas with improved roads to facilitate easy transportation for people and goods.
Equally, he appealed to people in the Lake Zone regions, namely Mwanza, Mara, Geita, Kagera and Simiyu to maximise numerous projects, including the Mv Mwanza Hapa Kazi Tu steamer.
He welcomed investors, both local and foreign, assuring them that they will be supported in keeping tab on the numerous opportunities available, including an enabling environment in the country with proper infrastructure, adequate land for both large and medium agricultural development, livestock development and reliable electricity.
He appealed to the diaspora to come back and invest home. He urged the private sector to tap conducive environment for doing business through construction of industries, Five Star hotels and other key sectors, including agriculture that employs a big number of people.
Mr Bashungwa made the remarks on Friday when he presented tender documents to the contractor for construction of the 50-km Nkwenda- Omurushaka Road, a project that will cost a total of 94.343bn/- upon completion.
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The strategic road linking Kyerwa and Karagwe districts will be performed by Shandong Luquiao Group Co Ltd from China. The contract was signed on June 12, 2024 and will be executed for 36 months to June 12, 2027 while the government had already paid advance payment amounting 9.159bn/- to the contractor.
Elaborating, he said the 50km will initially extend from Nkwenda (Kyerwa) to Chonyonyo Ward (Karagwe).
However, he directed the Regional Manager under the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads), Engineer Ntuli Mwaikokesya to ensure that the remaining 11 kms linking to Omurushaka township are improved using the Roads Fund.
Engineer Mwaikokesya explained that the region has a total of 1,966.29 km road network supervised by Tanroads of which 861.5 km were categorised as trunk roads, 1,053 km as regional roads and the remaining 50.9 km as district, urban and feeder roads.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) under TANROADS, Dr Christina Kayoza named strategic roads projects under rehabilitation as including the 92-km Lusahunga-Rusumo Road linking Tanzania to neighbouring Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will cost 153.56bn/- upon completion.
