Samia outlines strategies to strengthen transportation within EAC

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Mwananchi Communications Limited

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President Hassan said apart from the road projects connecting Tanzania with other EAC member states, the country was also executing the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has on Thursday, July 22, 2022 outlined the country’s strategies to strengthen transportation in the region and the African continent in general.
She also reminded road users and the general public on the importance of conserving road infrastructures in order to continue benefiting the region’s population and the continent in general.
She was speaking in Arusha during the launching of a 14.1 kilometre Sakina-Tengeru road that stretches from Arusha-Holili-Teveta to Voi, Kenya.
President Hassan said apart from the road projects connecting Tanzania with other EAC member states, the country was also executing the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.
“This is expected to connect Tanzania with Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Also, we have plans to build another railway in the southern part that will link us with other countries,” she said.
She said Tanzania has embarked on strengthening marine transport especially through construction of ports along Lake Tanganyika and Victoria, hinting that large ships would be built to serve Tanzania and neighbouring bloc members.
According to her, Tanzania was also making efforts to strengthen the aviation sector in order to ultimately promote trade in the bloc and the continent.
“Citizens living close to where these projects are passing should cease the opportunity to improve their standards of living by strengthening agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and trade sectors so that they significantly contribute to the economy of the region,” she said.
Regarding project conservations, President Hassan said the projects are executed at high costs, calling the public to fully conserve the projects.
She warned about vehicles that overload, littering and damaging bridges through sand mining.
“I’m told one road has seven bridges, while the other has over 500 metres long bridge. We should conserve them to reap the intended benefits,” she said.
During the event, President Hassan commended her Kenyan counterpart, President Uhuru Kenyatta for attending her last EAC summit as head of state, pledging to supervise implementation of the project’s second phase and make dreams they collectively initiated become a reality.