 Paving the way |
Roads in any country are often compared to the blood vessels in a human body. In Tanzania, eighty percent of the transport requirements are served by roads, but the roads are in bad shape due to poor maintenance which is a result of shortage of resources to support such a vital sector whose costs of construction are high. "My Ministry is responsible for some 80,000 kilometres of roads. There are more kilometres that are under the responsibility of local authorities. Out of 80,000km of road, only 10,000km is paved". The Honorable Anna Abdallah Minister of Works said. Additionally, Minister Abdallah said that there is potential for the private sector to participate in the country's road transport sector which is already on the verge of being liberalised fully.
| Tanzania's trunk roads are highly profitable because the country's eastern coastline ports of Tanga, Dar es Salaam and Mtwara are serving more than nine landlocked countries which include Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Already, the private investors have started being involved in running various projects and the government has since established Tanzania Road Agency (TANROADS) as an executive agency to take over management of trunk and rural roads functions which hitherto were being performed by Ministry of Public Works' Departments of Trunk Roads and Rural Roads respectively. TANROADS which started operation since July 1, 2000, will also act as government chief consultant firm which will supervise construction appointment of contractors for road and bridges construction projects in the country. |
