Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
By Herieth Makwetta
The construction of Tanzania’s first phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro is expected to be completed and operational this year, after the Government released Sh274 billion to the contractors.
This was said by the government spokesperson Dr. Hassan Abbas on January 31, while speaking to the media in Dodoma, explaining the implementation of various government projects.
He said the Government’s intention is to ensure that the construction is completed on time and that the project did not stop in the period from July to December during the first half of the budget year.
“My friends from Morogoro and Dar es Salaam will start testing this year, when I come here I will give a schedule when we will test for the first time and when we shall receive the modern train that we have announced in the past, “ he said.
“This modern railway will revive, strengthen, shape our economy and the lives of every Tanzanian is the most modern and fastest train in the East African region, there are other nations have tried 120 km per hour, we will go 160 kilometers making it the fastest in the East Africa and Africa in general, ”he said.
Dr Abbas who is also the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports said the government will continue providing funds whenever needed.
“We have never got stuck or interrupted in any way, after the work is completed it will make the journey from Dar to Morogoro take only 90 minutes and the one to Makutupora will take up to 3 hours.
The Citizen Tanzania
