Government plans 40.3tri/- for strategic roads

DODOMA: FOUR strategic road corridors covering a total of 3,417 kilometres are earmarked for construction at an estimated cost of 40.3tril/- as the government seeks to strengthen transport infrastructure and expand private sector participation in financing major development projects.

Minister of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Investment), Professor Kitila Mkumbo, said the corridors had been identified under the Tanzania Development Vision 2050, and would require substantial investment from both the public and private sectors.

He said the corridor starting from Tunduma alone was estimated to cost 15tril/-, underscoring the scale of investment required to implement the planned infrastructure projects.

Speaking while responding to Members of Parliament’s contributions on the 2027/28 Development Plan, Prof Mkumbo said the government intended to strengthen collaboration with the private sector through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to expand financing capacity and accelerate project implementation.

“The government will coordinate the institutions involved, including the Ministry of Works, Ministry of Finance, PublicPrivate Partnership Centre and Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), to ensure the projects are implemented,” he said.

Prof Mkumbo added that 10 projects worth approximately 8.6tril/- were already being implemented under the PPP arrangement, although the pace of adopting the financing model needed to be accelerated to achieve the intended targets.

He further reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing Tanzania Development Vision 2050, noting that its implementation would continue despite changes in leadership. He said the Vision had already received parliamentary approval and that any decision to set it aside would require Parliament’s approval.

On economic growth, Prof Mkumbo said the government set an average annual growth target of 5.4 per cent for the agricultural sector between 2026 and 2030. He noted that the sector recorded growth of 5.5 per cent during the two quarters cited, indicating progress towards the target. On the proposed new Constitution, he assured MPs that the matter remains on the government’s agenda, adding that the government would announce the next steps in Parliament at an appropriate time.

He said the views and recommendations submitted by MPs would also be considered in preparing the 2027/28 Development Plan.

Meanwhile, Minister for Works, Masanja Kadogosa, said the government intended to increase private sector participation in financing road infrastructure to reduce reliance on the national budget and mobilise alternative sources of funding.

He said the government would explore various financing mechanisms, including PPPs, tolling, asset recycling and securitisation, through which existing assets could be leveraged to raise funds for infrastructure development.

Mr Kadogosa added that plans included constructing modern six-lane roads and fourlane roads where necessary. He emphasised the need for policy adjustments and faster decisionmaking to address growing infrastructure demands in line with national development priorities.

“The increase in cargo handled at the country’s ports, from 16 million tonnes in 2016 to 39.899 million tonnes this year, reflected rising demand for transport and logistics services. Projections indicate that cargo volumes could reach 62.12 million tonnes by 2030/31, further highlighting the need for investment in transport infrastructure,” he said.

In another development, Minister for Finance, Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar, said the Government planned to introduce measures to control public expenditure, increase funding for settling debts owed to suppliers and contractors, and prioritise the completion of ongoing development projects during the 2027/28 financial year.

Responding to MPs’ views on the proposed Development Plan and budget guidelines for 2027/28, Ambassador Omar said the government took note of directives from the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Budget Committee on reducing unnecessary expenditure and improving the efficiency of public spending.

“The proposed measures included reducing official travel by government leaders and public servants, limiting motorcades during official visits and meetings, suspending vehicle purchases, reducing stationery expenditure and controlling unproductive workshops, seminars and celebrations,” he said.

He further said the government would also review the costs of hosting international conferences whenever Tanzania was selected as the host country to ensure that such commitments were aligned with available financial resources and their expected benefits.

Ambassador Omar said the Government would work on implementing the directives between now and February next year before submitting revised budget guidelines.

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