THE government of Tanzania has approved $160.5 million as a starting budget for the construction of the 341km Isaka-Mwanza Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line.
Approving the funds at the Dar es Salaam State House, President Samia Suluhu Hassan urged Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) Managing Director, Masanja Kadogosa to properly supervise the implementation of the ongoing railway projects in the country. She also asked the corporation to get ready to begin the construction of the SGR section from Makutopora-Tabora, Tabora- Isaka- Kaliua- Mpanda and Kalema.
‘The government is fully committed to ensure timely construction of the Central Railway line that will connect the Port of Dar es Salam with Lake and Western Zone regions as well as neighbouring countries of Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),’ said the president.
She also expressed her satisfaction at the Corporation’s implementation of ongoing railway projects.
TRC boss Masanja Kadogosa thanked the president for approving the funds for the Isaka-Mwanza SGR line. He mentioned that the Corporation has recorded good progress with regards to the SGR project with two of the sections – from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, and Morogoro-Makutopora already constructed.
Kadogosa revealed that as of last month, construction of the 300km from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro was 91 percent complete, while the 422km section from Morogoro to Makutopora was also 60.02 percent complete.
According to him, the first phase of the SGR line from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro is set to start operations by the end of August this year.