- Plans afoot to build ambitious Stieglers Gorge hydroelectric project
The President yet again warned local and international investors as well as public officials who were stealing the country’s resources that he will deal with them squarely, in his self-declared war against them.
Addressing a mammoth rally at the Bwawani grounds in Kibaha ON Tuesday, Dr Magufuli laid down plans for implementation of projects including the Ruvu dry port, health, energy, roads, water, railway projects among others.
He said that although the government was currently working on the expansion of the Kinyerezi I, II and III projects, the Tanzanian government in collaboration with the Ethiopian counterpart was putting measures in place to implement the Stieglers Gorge hydroelectric project.
The project follows an agreement entered on March 31, 2017 between Dr Magufuli and the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, when he came to Tanzania for a two-day State visit.
The Ethiopian leader promised Dr Magufuli to bring dam experts to help the country in the implementation of the project, basing on the fact that Ethiopia had made a commendable step on the country’s power generation.
“When I went to Addis Ababa, I had a tete-a-tete with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, and asked that he helps me to understand how he managed to put up dams that can produce megawatts two times more than what we are producing in Tanzania,” he stated.
According to the Head of State, on Monday this week, through a telephone conversation, the Ethiopian leader said he would send a team of experts in the next few days, adding that it was high time to implement the Stieglers Gorge hydroelectric project which has been there since the leadership of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
In his speech beamed live by local television and radio stations, the President further said the government had allocated 30.2bn/- for electricity distribution in 204 villages of the Coast Region and other 127 villages come 2020, through the ongoing Rural Energy Agency (REA) Phase III.
On water, Dr Magufuli said the government was implementing various water projects in the region, among them the Ruvu Juu water project which is funded by the Indian government, expressing confidence that it will increase access to water to Dar es Salaam, Kibaha and Bagamoyo.
He also added that plans were afoot for the construction of the Kidunda water project that will equally increase water availability in the Coast region and its neighbours.
In ensuring that people had access to health facilities, the President said about 3,680 hospital beds will be distributed to various health centres and other medical facilities, 920 maternity beds, 10,000 bed sheets and 5,000 mattresses will be availed in the region in the next fiscal year.
In another development, Dr Magufuli declared war against people who were squandering the country’s resources, saying he had launched the war that he does not expect to fail.
“I will deal with all thieves decisively regardless of their nationality… be it a Tanzanian, European, or, coming from East, West, North or South, a thief shall remain to be treated as a thief,’’ he warned.
Dr Magufuli also warned government officials who were engaging in signing shoddy contracts that were occasioning loss to the government, insisting that they had no room in the country anymore.
Earlier on, Coast Regional Commissioner (RC) Engineer Evarist Ndikilo said in implementing the President’s quest to transform the country into an industrial economy, his region had managed to establish many industries as well as allocating more areas for investors.
“So far, my region has over 371 industries, out of which over 89 are large factories, while over 260 others are small and medium industries,’’ said the RC.
Daily News
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