NIGHT TRAIN
A USD346.38-million fund is set to bolster Tanzania's transport sector by improving infrastructure and thus optimizing trade relationships and commercial activities.
In 2015, the African Development Bank approved a five-year, USD346.38-million fund for Tanzania's Transport Sector Support Programme (TSSP). The project will oversee the improvement of 500km of road across Tanzania. In its Implementation Strategy of the Transport Policy of 2011-2025, Tanzania sets forth objectives for the sector's infrastructure: boost rail freight to 2.3 million tons per year by 2018 and 4 million tons by 2023; expand sea and lake port cargo handling by 50% until 2020; increase the passenger and cargo capacity of Julius Nyerere International Airport; reduce city congestion; develop more effective intermodal transport links; and encourage public-private partnerships.
ROADS
Roads are the main form of transportation in Tanzania, accounting for more than 90% of passengers and 75% of freight. From the second quarter of 2015 to the second quarter of 2016, road passengers in Tanzania increased by 32%, from 8,750 to 11,546. Tanzania's roads stretch 86,472km, encompassing 12,786km of trunk roads, 21,105km of regional roads, and 52,581km of district, urban, and feeder roads. Some 19% of Tanzania's national roads and 2% of its district roads were paved as of 2013.
ROADS & AGRICULTURE
In Tanzania's south and northwest regions of Tabora, Katavi, and Ruvuma, major crops are cultivated but face infrastructural bottlenecks that prevent them from reaching markets. Upgrades to the Tabora-Koga-Mpanda road will tackle this problem. The unpaved, gravel trunk road is located in the Tabora and Rukwa regions of western Tanzania and treks through flat and rolling terrain. During rainy seasons, the road is semi impassable. Its upgrade will see the construction of 40-50 horizontal curves and three by-passes at Inyonga, Sikonge, and Uruwira as well as a 355-km section of the road being improved to bitumen standards and a rehabilitation or replacement of 12 existing bridges, drifts, and culverts. The road's improvement will better connect agriculture regions to the rest of the country as well as regional markets, such as those in Kenya, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. The Mbinga-Mbamba Bay Road is also undergoing an upgrade to bitumen standards as well getting equipped with a new bypass at Mbinga town. The road is regarded as a pivotal connection between the Mtwara corridor and the Mbinga and Nyasa districts in southwest Tanzania, where the agricultural land utilization rate is just 42%.
RAILWAYS
The country has a network of 3,676km of railway lines, which are run by the Tanzania Railways Corporation and Tanzania-Zambia Railways. In the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the government budgeted USD455 million for the new Standard Gauge Railway project, a 2,190-km railway that will link high-output coal fields with Mtwara port and other East African countries. The project will take four phases over three years to complete and a total investment of USD6 billion.
AIR & WATER
Between 2010 and 2015, air travel passengers in Tanzania rose by 62% to 3.5 million. During this same time, air cargo transport rose by 7%. In Tanzania, there are 58 airports and more than 300 private airstrips owned by mining companies and tour operators. As of 2016, 21 airlines were operating out of Tanzania's Julius Nyerere International Airport, which accounts for 80% of the country's cargo capacity and 70% of Tanzania's air passengers. Tanzania has a 720-km coastline on the Indian Ocean. The Tanzania Ports Authority operates both sea and inland waterways in the country. The main seaport, which handles more than 92% of the total maritime port throughput, is Dar es Salaam, which has a capacity of 10.1 million tons per year and serves landlocked countries such as Malawi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.
NIGHT TRAIN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
read articleInterview
Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
read articleReview
Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
read articleInterview
Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
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