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Tanzania’s Minister for Finance and Planning Dr Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba provided an update on the progress of major infrastructure projects during his 2023/4 budget speech to parliament on 15 June.

He said the construction status of the various stages of the Standard Gauge Railway project as of April was:
•    Lot 1: Dar es Salaam – Morogoro (300km) 98.1% complete
•    Lot 2: Morogoro – Makutupora (422km) 93.8%
•    Lot 5: Mwanza – Isaka (341km) 31.1%

Construction is now under way on 
•    Lot 4: Tabora – Isaka (163km)
•    Lot 6: Tabora – Kigoma (506km).

(The status of Lot 3: Makutupora – Tabora (371km) was 97.8% complete as of January according to TanzaniaInvest.)

Procurement for the Uvinza–Malagarasi–Msongati and Gitega–Uvira–Kindu (DRC) lots and the locomotives, passenger and freight rolling stock is ongoing.

Nchemba stated that the government is ready to construct the southern corridor railway (Mtwara – Mbamba bay) and northern corridor railway (Tanga–Arusha–Mara) as public-private partnerships (PPPs).

The minister also provided an update on the progress of key port and airport projects as of April:
•    Dar es Salaam Port Phase II 96% complete 
•    Tanga Port Phase II 99% 
•    Ruvu dry port 90%
•    Msalato International airport 18%
•    Songwe airport 98%
•    Songea airport 98% 
•    Iringa airport 50%
•    Musoma airport 47%
•    Mtwara airport first phase completed
•    Bagamoyo port construction underway.

As of April, a total of 1,484km of roads were under construction to bitumen standard.

Funds have been disbursed to conduct feasibility studies for implementing the Kibaha – Morogoro Road (205.0 km) and Morogoro – Dodoma Road as PPPs and the upgrade of the outer ring road (112.3km) in Dodoma City to bitumen standard. 

Nchemba said the government is pushing ahead with generation, transmission and distribution projects with the aim of increasing the reliability and accessibility of electricity in all areas across the country.

As of April, the construction of the 2,115MW Julius Nyerere hydropower project was 86.9% complete and the 80MW Rusumo hydropower scheme 99% finished. The 185MW extension of the gas-fired Kinyerezi I power plant has been completed. More than 81% of villages now have access to electricity, with the aim of 100% access by 2025.

Nchemba presented a TSh44.39 trillion (US$18.6 billion) spending plan for 2023/4, with revenue projected at TSh31.38 trillion.

Photo: Tanzania's Finance Minister Dr Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba (Source: www.mof.go.tz)