China is to inject US$ 376 million into the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara ) for rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure.
The funds will help Tazara rehabilitate its 1, 860 km rail line from Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Saleem to Kapiri Mposhi District in Central Zambia.
The funds are part of an aid package the government of China is arranging to help revive and secure the sustainable development of Tazara.
The resuscitation of Tazara follows a technical assessment undertaken by the Third Railway Survey and Design Institute of China on the railway’s viability.
The financing package follows a recent weeklong technical work group meeting held in the Tanzanian commercial capital of Dar es saleem to chart the future of Tazara.
Secretary to cabinet Roland Msiska led a team of technocrats comprising permanent Secretaries and officials from the ministries of commerce, development planning, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Transport to the meeting that looked at the rehabilitation and sustainable development of Tazara.
Ministry of Transport Permanent Secretary Misheck Lungu who is co-chairperson of Tazara and part of the Zambian negotiating team confirmed the development to ZANIS in Lusaka.
Mr Lungu however pointed out that the aid package is subject to consideration and approval by the tripartite ministerial meeting set for later this year.
The government of the people’s republic of China together with Tanzania and Zambia are exploring ways of resuscitating the ailing jointly owned railway firm.
Tazara was founded over 40 years ago when Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda, founding fathers of China, Tanzania and Zambia respectively, visioned connecting east and southern Africa to promote to sustain regional and trade, and social economic development.
However over the last two decades, Tazara has been underperforming and experienced deterioration in infrastructure due to lack of investment.
Please there no free lunch you dull journalists how does someone inject close half a billion for nothing..you simply state “inject” why dont you approach the Chinese embassy for comment?
THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT:
1] This railway is owned by Zed & Tanz.!! BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN SERVICING THIS LOAN FOR MANY MANY YEARS!!! As such, the SO-CALLED PRIVATISATION, should mean, IT IS FLOATED ON THE OPEN MARKET – NOT SIMPLY HANDED OVER TO CHINA!!!
WE NEED TECHNOCRATS TO SPEARHEAD THE TURNAROUND OF TAZARA – Not BOOTLICKERS, like the ones mentioned in the article!!
Vote wisely 11/8/2016!! Vote Zambia FORWARD!! Vote UPND!! Abantu baya!!
#chagwamustfall PamaFikuyabebele!!
I thank you!!
Ba pompwe mwiponta tukabwela !!
@Jayjay china needs a cheaper method to get raw materials out of zambia its as simple as that