Tanzania signs three exchange notes with Japan

THE dream of having at least the first flyover in Tanzania which is to be built later in Dar es Salaam city appears to come true following the signing of the preliminary stage of a detailed structural design of a project between Tanzania and Japanese governments in Dar es Salaam. The two countries recently signed three Exchange of Notes under which the government of Tanzania will access grant assistance to facilitate its three projects from the Japanese government amounting to the total value of 1.552 billion Japanese Yen, which is equivalent to Tanzania shillings 28.2 billion. The Minister for Finance, Dr. William Mgimwa led Tanzania government during the signing ceremony whereas the Japanese Ambassador accredited in the country Masaki Okada led the Japanese government in this occasion which took place yesterday at the headquarter of the Ministry of Finance in Dar es Salaam. Minister Mgimwa said in his key note address that, the first project involves a detailed design worth Japanese Yen 67 million, approximately Sh. 1.26 billion which covers a flyover for the Tazara intersection where Nyerere Road crosses Nelson Mandela Road in which a double-lane flyover will be laid. This is flyover which many Tanzanians have been waiting for with anxiousness. Authorities in Japan have already approved a detailed design for the multi-billion shilling flyover project to be built at the junction of Nelson Mandela and Nyerere roads, paving way for construction works to start next year. In the second project the Japanese government under the project for improvement of transport capacity in Dar es Salaam, will make available to Tanzania government is a grant amounting to Japanese Yen 1.108 billion, approximately Sh. 20 billion to finance the expansion of Kilwa Road and Harbour road intersection to Gerezani area which will bring a significant impact to infrastructure improvement. He further noted that, the expansion of Kilwa Road will contribute to alleviate the existing traffic jams and a widened road and Gerezani bridge which will most certainly have a positive effect on the economic development of the city of Dar es Salaam and therefore facilitate entry and exit from the harbor. This project will cover a 1.3 Km section of Gerezani road and Bandari road between Kamata and Kilwa intersections, and the construction of the Gerezani bridge where a double-lane road will be laid out. The Chief representative of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at Tanzania office Yukihinde Katsuta who are the coordinators of the project, said the latest news of approval of the project’s design by the Japanese is a great relief to most Tanzanians, who see it as one of the major and focused interventions to reduce the critical problem of congestion on Dar es Salaam roads. Hopes are high that the combination of these projects would supplement government programs aimed at decongesting Dar es Salaam roads, thus facilitate fast movement of goods and services, thereby improving business-related sectors and stimulating growth and development. Besides the Tazara flyover, JICA is also supporting a similar project at the Kamata junction, including widening the 1.3-kilometre stretch between the Kamata junction and Kilwa road to dual carriageway one of the strategic interventions which are expected to ease traffic movement between the southern part of Tanzania and Dar es Salaam. Elaborating about the two above projects, Dr. Mgimwa said that, the objectives of the two road projects are to ease and alleviate the existing traffic congestion and therefore improve services in the city of Dar es Salaam. In turn, this will lead to economic efficiency resulting from stimulation and increase of business activities. The third project of an exchange note Dr. Mgimwa said is a grant assistance of the Japanese Yen 380 million (Or Sh. 6.92 billion) to finance the implementation of the food security project for underprivileged farmers respectively. Elaborating on the third project, Dr. Mgimwa noted that, the grant aid will enable Tanzania to procure agricultural inputs to increase food production, thereby contributing to stable food security in the country. He said that, the grant is to support the initiative of Kilimo Kwanza through the food security project for underprivileged farmers. This support is very much in line with the country’s initiatives to promote the program whose aim is to improve food production in the country. He further noted into details that, the special focus of this project on marginalized farmers makes the project very important, particularly for poverty reduction. He has however assured the Japanese government that, given the importance of the three projects Tanzania will make every effort to ensure that all projects are implemented successfully. Highlighting the exchange of notes on the two road infrastructures after the signing, Japanese Ambassador accredited in the country, Masaki Akada said that with the completion of the planned construction of the new double lane flyover with walkway and service road will become easier in the city. He said however that, traveling time between the city centre and Airport, a distance of 11 kilometers, should be decreased from the current approximately 37 minutes to around 25 minutes. However, he noted that, a 1.3 Km section of Gerezani road and Bandari road between the Kamata and Kilwa intersections and the reconstruction of Gerezani bridge where a double lane will be laid out will help lessen the existing traffic jams which will most certainly have a positive effect on the economic development. With the completion of the planned construction work, the rush hour traveling time between Kamata and Kilwa intersections should be greatly decreased from the current 2 hours to less than half an hour. During the 2012/13 fiscal year, the government has set aside money in its budget for the preparation of the construction of the flyovers in the country as a preliminary step to curb with the increased traffic jam in the city of Dar es Salaam. Winding up a debate in Parliament in July last year, the Minister for Works Dr. John Magufuli presented his budget estimates for the ministry that tuned to a total of Sh. 899.063 billion, but the money to be set aside for this year alone would be Sh. Sh37.578 billion which is equivalent to 4.17 percent of the total use. He said that, all feeder roads in Dar es Salaam will be upgraded at a cost of about Sh34.2 billion to contain traffic congestion that costs the economy up to Sh 4 billion daily. However, he added that, some of these have already been upgraded to tarmac level. Transport stakeholders in the country say a loss of Sh4 billion is incurred everyday from traffic jams in Dar es Salaam as workers are forced to spend many hours on their way to workplaces. Further, environmental pollution by motor vehicles causes diseases, such as cancer, which cost huge sums of money to treat. The annual loss of Sh1.4 trillion from traffic jams is larger than the 2009/10 budget of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development amounting to Sh208.7 billion.