THE government has approved the spending of 372.3bn/- as a starting budget for the construction of a 341 km long fifth part of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Mwanza to Isaka.
This was disclosed yesterday when President Samia Suluhu Hassan met with Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) Managing Director, Masanja Kadogosa at the State House in Dar es Salaam, yesterday.
During their talks, President Samia asked the TRC boss to properly supervise implementation of the ongoing railway projects and as well get ready to begin the construction of the SGR line from Makutopora-Tabora, Tabora- Isaka- Kaliua- Mpanda and Kalema.
She said the government was fully committed to ensure timely construction of the Central Railway line to 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).
“President Samia also expressed her satisfaction at the TRC performance of implementing the ongoing railway projects, equally commending the corporation’s management and staff for a good job so far well done,” read part of the state-ment issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communications.
Earlier, Mr Kagodosa thanked President Samia for approving the 372.3bn/- to be spent on starting the construction of the Mwanza-Isaka SGR line.
He said, since President Samia assumed the office, TRC has recorded good progress and constructed two sections of the SGR projects from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, and Morogoro-Makutopora.
According to him, by last month, the construction of the 300 km from Dar es Salaam- Morogoro was at 91 per cent of completion, whereas 422km of the second slot Morogoro- Makutopora was at 60.02 per cent.
Elaborating, Mr Kadogosa told President Samia that the first phase of the SGR line between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro is set to start operations by the end of August this year.