‘We are ready to fulfill the transformative journey’
TANZANIA: TANZANIA is committed to leveraging the economic diplomacy with Japan among other countries worldwide to decongest all major cities across the country by 2030 through constructing smart transport infrastructure including roads, railways, bridges and flyovers.
The determination aligns with the Third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III) 2021/22–2025/26, a continuation of government’s efforts in achieving the goals set in the National Development Vision 2025.
The vision stresses the importance of improving competitiveness and industrialisation through key interventions, including strengthening investment and trade environment, promoting innovation and the transfer of foreign technology and developing infrastructure and services for railways, roads, bridges, marine and air transport, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), energy, ports and airports.
It envisions to achieve macro-economic stability by constructing, rehabilitating and promoting connectivity of supportive and inclusivity infrastructure which leverage its comparative advantage by acting as a bridge economy that links the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) regional markets positioning itself as the regional logistics hub.
The Minister for Works, Innocent Bashungwa told the ‘Daily News’ in an interview on the sidelines of the Tanzania-Japan Quality Infrastructure Dialogue yesterday the determination of the government intends to smoothen urban mobility and speed up competitive economic development.
He said the Quality Infrastructure Dialogue highlights the Tanzania’s government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s unwavering commitment to leverage bilateral cooperation with Japan in advancing the transportation sector especially in major cities by placing state of the art roads, bridges and other crucial infrastructures, which can offer seamless movement of goods and services.
“Efficient infrastructure is necessary for any country to compete in today’s economy. Tanzania has already embarked on the journey of infrastructure transformation including designing the transport master plan, we are now looking on the financing side,” Mr. Bashungwa said. He added: “we are ready to fulfill the transformative journey.”
Mr. Bashungwa added that the focus is on the five major cities namely Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Mbeya, Arusha and Mwanza which are amongst key engines of Tanzania economic transformation. He said the five cities are currently experiencing congestions.
The Minister said Tanzania will develop a Quality Infrastructure Master Plan with Japan which will indicate construction projects and their scope of work as well as the resource needed for fullest execution.
He said the focus is on bringing the Asian country vast construction experience in the East African rapid economy.
Mr. Bashungwa noted that the infrastructure construction master plan will be integrated in the 2025-2030 CCM election manifesto.
The government has invited countries that have excelled in modern technology to partner with Tanzania.
He said the master plan will involve the construction of critical transport infrastructure, including airports, railways, roads, bridges and flyovers, with the goal of reducing the time lost by citizens due to ongoing congestion.
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“The country’s major cities require new transport technologies to ensure that infrastructure such as roads, airports and railways complement one another,” he said.
Citing Dodoma, the Minister said the city is currently facing congestion after the launch of electric Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train routes from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.
He said the move has increased the number of visitors in the city and thus push for supportive smart infrastructure to address the challenge.
Earlier, the Minister told participants of the Quality Infrastructure Dialogue that Tanzania and Japan have a long-standing good relationship of 60 years. He said both countries have been sharing experience and skills in various disciplines.
“You have always been with us. Japan is a very dear partner to our country. It is the vision of our President to maintain this strong partnership between our two nations,” Mr. Bashungwa said.
Japan’s Deputy Minister for International Projects, Mr. Ogasawara Kenichi noted that this year’s Quality Infrastructure Dialogue provides an opportunity for both countries to identify areas for strengthening partnerships and collaboration to enhance mutual economic development.
He said the dialogue also aims at promoting business and information exchanges between the two countries.
The Tanzania-Japan Quality Infrastructure Dialogue brought together 60 major Japanese construction companies under the Africa Infrastructure Development Association (JAIDA) and over 100 local private and public companies which collectively explored investment opportunities, forged networks and exchanged experience for mutual cooperation among them.
Japan Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr. Misawa Yasushi said the dialogue acts as the platform for fostering collaboration in human resource development between the two countries which is the main ingredient of economic development.
He said in the next year (2025) Japan will host the World Expo which focuses on among others trade to which Tanzania will also participate.
Tanzania’s Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Baraka Luvanda said Tanzania and Japan are only separated by ocean echoing the stunning historic diplomatic relation between the two countries with this year’s dialogue rooted on elevating the bilateral cooperation to the new height.
He said he was optimistic that the dialogue event will yield significant tangible outcomes to the two countries.
Tanzania Investment Centre’s (TIC) Executive Director, Mr. Gilead Teri told the ‘Daily News’ that the Japanese Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) between 1997 and 2024 stand at 42 million US dollar (114bn/-) for 24 projects in various sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and commercial building.
He said the projects have created a total of 1,182 jobs. Mr. Teri anticipated the infrastructure dialogue to further boost Japanese FDIs in Tanzania and Tanzania export to the Asian country.
