The Parliamentary Committee Calls on TRC to Supervise Contractors to Enable Them to Complete Projects on Time

The Parliamentary Infrastructure Committee has requested the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) to ensure that contractors complete projects according to the contracted timeline. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Infrastructure Committee, Mr. Moshi Selemani Kakoso, made the statement during a visit to inspect the modern railway project (SGR) from Dodoma to Morogoro on March 14, 2023.

The Parliamentary Infrastructure Committee has begun a two-day visit to inspect the construction of the SGR railway project using the contractor’s engineering train from Dodoma to Morogoro. The aim is to observe the project’s progress as part of preparations for the Government’s 2023/2024 budget session.

Mr. Kakoso, Chairman of the Parliamentary Infrastructure Committee, thanked President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s government for continuing to provide funds for the SGR project, which will bring significant benefits to Tanzanians when completed. Kakoso promised that the committee would continue to speak positively about the project and defend its implementation budget.

“I thank the Government for its efforts to complete the SGR project. A lot of money has been invested, and there are things that we have advised the Government on to expedite matters. The first is to ensure that the project is completed on time according to the contracts, without delay, as the people’s hopes are to see the project start so that they can benefit,” said Mr. Kakoso.

The Parliamentary Committee members had the opportunity to inspect the TRC headquarters building under construction in Kikuyu South, Dodoma, at the final stages of completion. The Railways Corporation is among the Government’s institutions expected to move to the country’s capital, Dodoma, in the 2023/2024 financial year, following Government directives.

In addition to inspecting the TRC office building, the committee members visited and inspected the SGR station building in Dodoma and received detailed information from experts before continuing their inspection to Morogoro, where they visited the SGR’s long tunnel, Kilosa, and Morogoro stations.

Other matters the Infrastructure Committee advised the Government on include ensuring that the procurement of equipment, including locomotives, carriages, and machinery in other parts of the SGR project, begins early, as well as continuing to train young Tanzanians who will oversee the SGR project when it starts operating.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Atupele Mwakibete, has stated that some of the challenges that delayed the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro SGR project were related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly delayed the procurement of equipment such as locomotives, train sets, and carriages. Despite these challenges, Mr. Atupele said that the Government plans to begin operating the modern railway from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro after receiving locomotives and carriages in April 2023.

Acting Director-General of the Tanzania Railways Corporation, Ms. Amina Lumuli, said, “We have received a visit from the Parliamentary Infrastructure Committee, which has visited the project from Dodoma to Morogoro and will head to Dar es Salaam, where we have received significant instructions.”