Isaka- Mwanza SGR execution reaches 28.03 pc
CONSTRUCTION of Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Lot 5 from Isaka to Mwanza has reached 28.03 per cent.
Briefing the Prime Minister over the weekend at Malampaka town in Simiyu Region, the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) Director General, Masanja Kadogosa said the Isaka – Mwanza section spanning 341 kilometres is progressing at good pace.
The section being constructed jointly by CCECC and CRCC from China will cost 3.06tri/- upon completion.
Eng Kadogosa said that so far the Lot 5 of SGR project has provided 6,771 employment opportunities, of which, 6,210 equal to 91.71 per cent are Tanzanians and 561 equal to 8.29 per cent are foreigners.
“There are also 66 sub-contractors and 337 service providers, thus enabling a sum of 35.4 million US dollars (about 82.8bn/-) to be spent for providing local services (local content),” he said.
Addressing members of the public in Malampaka town, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa urged the residents of Maswa District in Simiyu Region to capitalise on the presence of SGR as an opportunity to boost themselves economically.
“The construction of this standard railway is a blessing for people of this area because Malampaka will have a big station. There will be a station for passengers and there will also be a large station for loading and offloading cargo,” he said
“It is high time for the council to conduct land survey, so that the people can get plots with title deeds for them to carry out development activities,” he said.
The Premier encouraged the citizens to set up investment projects such as hotels, lodges and restaurants; so that when the station starts its operations, passengers will get the required services here, instead of travelling all the way to Mwanza and other areas for similar services.
“Malampaka Township is growing rapidly and this comes with lots of opportunities. Farmers and other business persons must seize the opportunity to improve their productivity and provide quality service to the people,” he noted
Responding to the outcry of water shortage raised by ‘wananchi’, the Prime Minister said that Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) conducted research and found that most of the water in the area is not suitable for human consumption, because it contains a lot of chloride.
Moreover, he said that government has allocated 22.4bn/- for the project to provide water from Lake Victoria to Tabora Region which will pass by the area and benefit the residents of Malampaka.
On his side, Member of Parliament for Maswa West, Mr Mashimba Ndaki thanked the government for setting up a large passenger loading and offloading station at Malampaka, as he expressed his confidence that it will significantly serve Simiyu, Mara regions and Kisumu city in Kenya.
“The station will benefit Malampaka and ease transportation of cotton, but we are also requesting for a cattle station to be set up because we have a lot of livestock,” he requested.
Speaking about education sector, Mr Ndaki said for the year 2023, they have been given 660m/- that has been used to build 33 classrooms, adding that in health sector, the constituency has received 400m/- in two years that have been used to build eight clinics.
