CHINESE ENVOY TO TANZANIA: WE DON'T USE PRISONERS

Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Lu Youqing.

Dar es Salaam.  The Chinese government says Tanzania has enough qualified and affordable skilled labour and doesn’t therefore need to bring into the country, prisoners to work in Chinese projects.

It’s ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Lu Youqing,  told The Citizen that, Chinese engineering projects have so far provided jobs to over 150,000 people.

He said the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC),  which is currently constructing the Mtwara gas pipe line project trained about 2,500 Tanzanian technicians.

Ambassador Lu was responding to a news story published last week by The Citizen, which quoted some local contractors saying  that Chinese companies, through the use of cheap labour, had overtaken local and Western companies in winning major construction and other investment projects

“I am very convinced that such baseless allegations are fabricated lies from the ‘Western teachers’…In fact, such lies are as old as a decade. They are caused by the insecurity the West feels about stiff competition the Chinese companies have been posing,” Dr Lu said.

He noted that the report by ‘Engineering News-Record’, an authoritative publication in the sector released in September, last year, pointed  out that among 250 largest international contractors, 49 were from Chinese mainland, with five among the global top ten.

This, the envoy said, was testimony to Chinese companies’ adherence to professionalism and a high state of competence.

According to data from the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads),  14 Chinese companies  did, over the last decade, win 58 contracts  worth $ 1.75 billion and covering 3,140.85 kilometres.  China Henan International Cooperation Group Co., Ltd. (CHICO) from Henan Province which was awarded a $206 million contract by the Road Development Agency of Zambia to design and construct the 175km Mansa-Luwingu road, has alone sealed 13 contracts with Tanzania with a total of 705.2km,  worth $ 490.26 billion. These include the 34km Package 1 Singida-Iguguno ($ 11.75 million); 42km Package 2 Singida-Iguguno ($ 8.8 million); 33km Package 3 Sekenke-Shelui ($ 12.51 million); 60km Mwandiga-Manyovu ($ 32.54 million); 35.7km Kigoma-Kidahwe ($ 19.56 million); 19.20km Bonga-Babati ($ 11.95 million); 42km Tabora-Urambo ($ 31.17 million); 59.1km Kyaka-Bugene ($ 51.6 million); 84.6km Dareda-Minjingu ($ 51.6 million); 76.6km Kidahwe-Uvinza-Ilunde ($ 47.5 million); 132km Isaka-Ushirombo ($ 88.223 million); 1.5km Widening for Kilwa Road Phase III ($ 3.4 million); 85.5km Nyanguse-Musoma ($ 3.3 million); and the 154km long Kagoma-Lusahunga joint venture contract with CRSG worth $ 116.2 million.

The China Sichuan International Cooperation Co., Ltd (SIETCO) has a total of 283.9km long worth $ 123.03 million, namely the 63km Isuna-Singida ($ 18.5 million); 32km Tarakea-Rongai-Kamwanga ($ 8.8 million); 95.1km Iringa-Migori ($ 51.123 million); and 93.8km Migori-Fufu Escarpment ($ 44.7 million), while CICO is constructing the 95km long Nangurukuru-Mbwemkuru ($ 23.82 million).

China Geo-Engineering Corporation International Ltd (CGC INT’L) with offices in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Senegal, Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), Morocco, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, Laos and project departments in Ghana, Chad and Central Africa, has a total of 525.9km long road projects in Tanzania worth $ 151.2 million. These roads include the 112km Shelui-Nzega ($ 12.6 million); 120km Kyamorwa-Buzirayombo ($ 29.822 million); 54km Manyoni-Isuna ($ 18.4 million); 104.2km Arusha-Namanga ($ 49.64 million); 125km Chalinze-Tanga Phase I ($ 25.9 million) and the 10.7km Umoja ‘Unity’ Bridge ($ 14.9 million) bordering Tanzania and Mozambique.

Earlier this year, this paper quoted a report by Imara Equity Research suggesting that China’s total direct investment in Tanzania soared from $700 million in 2011 to $2.1 billion last year, turning the world’s second biggest economy into the biggest foreign investor in the East African country .

It said this investment is focused on railways, ports, buildings, road construction, gas pipelines and wind power farms. The investment, the report further said, has not only boosted economic growth in Tanzania, but has also created more than 150,000 direct jobs.

The Citizen