On 22nd November 2022, the Government of Tanzania signed agreements with the World Bank for a total of TZS 1.24 Trillion in soft loans for the development of the Msimbazi River basin which will involve the construction of a modern bridge in the desert as well as rural electricity projects.
The loan is part of the Msimbazi Basin Development Project that aims to strengthen urban services and institutional capacity in the Dar es Salaam Metropolitan area in order to improve resilience, mobility, livability, and service delivery to low-income areas.
The project invests in an integrated set of mitigation measures to resolve persistent flooding in the Msimbazi basin in Dar es Salaam, with a focus on the lower Msimbazi valley floodplain area.
Speaking after the ceremony of the agreement that took place in Dar es Salaam, the Minister of Finance and Planning of Tanzania Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba said the two agreements with a total value of USD 535 million equal to TZS 1.24 trillion will write history and promote the country’s economy.
“This is the beginning of the big things that President Samia hopes to do in this fiscal year involving the construction of infrastructure projects in Dar es Salaam,” he said.
For his part, the Chief Executive of the National Roads Agency (TANROADS), Eng. Rogatus Mativila explained that the construction design of the new bridge has been completed.
The new bridge will include non-motorized transport, with dedicated lanes for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), mixed traffic lanes, a cycling path, a green zone, a walkway, and a hard shoulder.
Construction is expected is to start in April 2023 and be completed after two to three years and remove the great danger of transportation and transportation for the people, he added.
Minister Nchemba and the World Bank’s country director, Mr. Nathan Belete, also signed a USD 341 million (TZS 791.09 billion) financing agreement for the Tanzania Rural Electrification Expansion Programme (TREEP).
Since the beginning of its implementation in March 2017, WB-financed TREEP has helped Tanzania achieve one of the fastest access expansion rates in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade, providing more than 4.5 million people with access to electricity.
