Tanzanian engineers in China for training

Dar es Salaam. Eleven Tanzanian engineers in the construction industry are in China for training on East Asia’s ambitious initiative--One Belt, One Road.

The initiative aims at linking 70 countries across Asia, Europe and Africa through a road network.

Along with them, a Chinese construction company in Tanzania, Group Six International Limited (GSIL), has funded five other public officers--one from each construction related authorities.

The deputy general manager of GSIL, Mr Yi Xiaobo, said a contingent of 16 Tanzanians flew to China on June 12 where they will receive training for one month.

The team included a total of 11 engineers and one officer from the Contractors Registration Board (CRB), Engineers Registration Board (ERB), Architects and Quantity Surveyors Registration Board (AQRB), Occupational Safety and Health Authority (Osha) and Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (Tarura).

“Tanzania is among the nations that are part of the One Belt, One Road programme. We have committed more than Sh15 million to empower engineers to acquire more skills in China and learn more about the programme,” he said.

He believes that the local engineers have talents, but they lack experience and technology to carry out big construction projects.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a significant development strategy by the Chinese government to promote economic cooperation among the countries along the proposed routes. The grand vision was launched in 2013.

Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Egypt are among the African countries that will directly benefit from the six-economic corridor project, which will cover 68 countries

China has invited Tanzania to the BRI forum in Beijing, not only because of her have historic and natural parted of the Maritime Silk, but more importantly, because of the special traditional friendship between the two countries.

Ms Neema Fuime, a Principle Research Officer of CRB is among the trainee said she is ambitious to exploit the Chinese technology and their ways of doing things and practice them locally.

“I want to learn more and more so that I can even teach others after my return,” she said when she was about to fly to China.

Her wish is to learn on how Chinese construction companies manage to complete their projects on time with a definite budget without a fail.