Tanzania and Zambia are planning a law review to accommodate private investors in the running of their joint railway company, TAZARA.
TAZARA which runs from Dar es Salaam to Kapiri-Mposhi in Zambia, was built in the 1970s with Chinese aid.
However it has suffered a cash crunch in recent times, bringing it almost to a halt.
Dar es Salaam said a review of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority Act would allow private investors to buy shares in the railway and help boost efficiency.
“We are eager to improve operations so as to boost trade between Tanzania and Zambia, the Great Lakes region and Southern Africa,” said Tanzanian Deputy Minister for Works, Transport and Communications Atashasta Nditiye.
In 2016, Tanzania, Zambia and China unveiled a plan to extend the railway to the planned Bagamoyo port — some 75km from Dar es Salaam.
The plan is awaiting approval by the Tanzanian Cabinet, and includes major renovations of the old narrow gauge railway line and plans to link it to Malawi, Rwanda and Burundi.
Southern DRC is already connected to the line through Zambia Railways.
TAZARA is the region’s longest railway line, linking the East African Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Southern African Development Community three blocs, with a market of more than 600 million people.
“When you have a reliable railway, trade between countries becomes easier and more efficient; it reduces delays and congestion on the roads,” said Mr Nditiye.
The Minister said that Dar es Salaam is seeking to increase trade volumes with neighbouring countries by developing key infrastructure to facilitate movement of people and cargo.
Let us make use of our own son Pro Clive Chirwa in the rail. system.https://www.lusakatimes.com/2013/07/29/the-crucifixion-of-zambia-railways-vision-by-prof-clive-chirwa/
The problem is that no local businessmen would take up such investment due to capital , and experience on how to run the business so china will take it . an less our governments learn to support local investors
If it was up to Tanzanian govt alone they would have injected money in this firm ..after the recovered billions from the mines in backdated taxes …they have even procured Dreamliner for Tanzanian Airlines!!
The reason behind this Tazara tragedy is management failure by both the Zambian and Tanzanian Governments. If l was given the opportunity to decide what to do about this, l would engage ALL engineering students and technical colleges and Universities (both ours and Tanzanian) to RUN Tazara. In just 10 years, this railway line could link up the entire African countries in transport business.