Kibaha-Chalinze expressway builder to be known March 2024

Dar es Salaam. The contractor who will undertake the $340 million (Sh833 billion) expressway project linking Kibaha and Chalinze in Coast Region will be known in March 2024 following the selection of five firms for the final procurement process.

The government plans to implement the 205-kilometre expressway road project between Kibaha and Morogoro in two lots under public-private partnership (PPP).

The lots include 78.9 kilometres between Kibaha and Chalinze and 126 kilometres between Chalinze and Morogoro that will involve the construction of four lanes.

The Morogoro-Dodoma will involve the construction of two lanes.

Tabling his docket’s 2023/24 budget in Parliament, Works and Transport minister Makame Mbarawa said the ministry was evaluating contractors that have tendered the project expression of interests.

However, the PPP commissioner in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Mr David Kafulila, yesterday named the selected companies that will be in the final procurement process as M/s CRCC- CCECC-CRCCIG Consortium and M/s Sichuan Road and Bridge (Group) Corporation Ltd.

Others are M/s Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group Co. Ltd; M/s Yapi Merkezi Insaat ve Sanayi A.S and M/s Egis Projects SAS JV and M/s China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC).

“The five companies have been picked out of nine that submitted Requests for Qualification (RFQs). Based on the evaluation results, the five shortlisted firms will be issued with the Request for Proposal (RFP) and they will be required to submit back to the government before the end of November, this year,” Mr Kafulila said.

“By March 2024, the company that will execute the Kibaha-Chalinze project will be known after the firms will have competed among themselves,” he added.

August 16, 2023, Mr Kafulila told a meeting of 40 investors that M/s Cheil Engineering Co Ltd in collaboration with the Korea Expressway Corporation, Hana E&C Co Ltd, Afrisa Consulting and ENGTEC Tanzania Ltd were the project transaction advisors.

During the meeting that was coordinated by Stanbic Bank, Mr Kafulila said the advisors were tasked to help the government through Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) in preparing the project.

“This is to ensure that all PPP projects are prepared by competent companies with international credibility in order to get quality project documents,” he said.

Therefore, he challenged investors to submit unsolicited project proposals for the Chalinze-Morogoro and Morogoro-Dodoma lots, noting that the submission was allowed by law.

“There is no need to wait for solicited proposals that are prepared and advertised by government authorities,” he said.

Furthermore, he said the 78.9 kilometre Kibaha-Chalinze expressway project will be implemented in three years, saying after investors have tendered their submissions, contractors will also be allowed to submit their proposals.

“What I’m so far sure is that investors will enjoy tax exemption offered by the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) in accordance with the law,” he said.

Addressing the 15th Annual Joint Transport Sector Review Meeting in November 2022, Prof Mbarawa said the private investor will inject funds for the project and equally be in charge of running it, adding that the new expressway will run alongside the current normal highway.

"An investor will be charging a toll fee for those who would wish to drive through it. To pass on this road is optional because the normal road will still be in use," he said.

He said the project will be a model for enhancing rapid movement in elevating the country’s road infrastructure.

Pooling of resources between the private sector, the government and development partners will speed up the construction of railways, roads, airports and ports, he stated.

"This will provide employment opportunities and revive infrastructure that is necessary for investment to take off," he said.