Dar es Salaam. The unending financial problems that have been afflicting the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) have led to a total suspension of all train operations between Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri-Mposhi from Monday this week until further notice.
Tazara head of public relations Conrad Simuchile told The Citizen that activities at the authority had been at a virtual standstill since April, last year.
According to a statement sent to the media, as a result of the longstanding operational challenges that have seen Tazara operate at a loss, the authority has been unable to meet most operational costs, the bulk of which include expenses for buying spares for locomotives and rolling stock and fuel and paying salaries.
“We have been operating at a loss since April, last year. We have been able to transport hardly 10,000 tons of cargo each month against the projected 35,000 tons. This has severely impacted sources of revenue for the authority hence fail to meet operational costs,” said Mr Simuchile.
He said that even as the two governments have been meeting on regular basis to discuss ways on how to revive the company all their decisions have remained in papers.
“The two governments have been promising to inject funds to support the authority but no coin has been released.”
In July, last year, the two governments met and promised to give a total of $25 million to support the railway but according to Mr Simuchile no single coin has been released so far.
Due to lack of fund the authority failed to pay salaries of their employees at least for the past five months something which led to eruption of boycott every now and then.
The Citizen
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