WORLD BANK, DENMARK PROMISE US$56 MILLION FOR TANZANIA URBAN PROJECT

Dar es Salaam. The World Bank and Denmark have pledged to make available a total of $56 million (about Sh92.4 billion) in support of a project that seeks to improve infrastructure in urban areas in Tanzania.

Denmark will support Tanzania through the Danish International Development Agency (Danida

The project, known as Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP), is carried out in eight urban centres of Tanga, Arusha, Mwanza, Ilemela, Kigoma, Dodoma, Mbeya and Mtwara.

However, in Dodoma, the project is implemented by the Dodoma Municipal Council and the Capital Development Authority.

The project was officially launched in September 2010 for implementation in five years. However, the project was successfully implemented in four years (2010 to 2014).

In a speech made during the opening of the 7th TSCP technical review meeting in Mwanza recently and The Citizen obtained its copy in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the deputy permanent secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), Mr Zuberi Samataba, said so far the financiers had been impressed by the successful implementation of the project – prompting them to increase the funding.

“TSCP has made remarkable improvement to our urban local authorities in terms of improving urban infrastructure and other basic services such as bus stands, solid waste management and storm water drains,” he said.

PMO-RALG received $163 million from the World Bank’s International Development Association (Ida) and a grant of $12.5 million from Danida for the project during the past few years.

Having been impressed by the impact that the amount has had the development partners have pledged to make available another $56 million so the project can be extended to 2017. Of the money, the WB will foot $50 million while Danida will provide the remaining $6 million.

He said the additional funds will focus on improving the functionality and sustainability of the present investment under project.

Part of it will also go towards finalising key institutional activities such as general planning schemes, valuation of high and medium valued properties among others.

The project has provided a significantly improvement on management capacity of Tanzania’s cities to enhance service delivery to communities. So far, the project has facilitated improvement of a total of 133km of urban roads, five landfills, seven bus stands, two lorry parking stands and 17km of storm water drains.

He urged to the Local Government Authorities (LGAs) to keep setting aside funds for operation and maintenance of the infrastructure.

To address the challenge of revenue flows to LGAs, the PMO-RALG is now installing a computerised revenue collection system known as Local Government Revenue Collection System in all LGAs that have been reached by the TSCP.

“With time, the installation will be extended to other urban LGAs under Urban Local Government Strengthening Programme,” he said.

The ULGSP is also financed by the World Bank.

The Citizen