PRESIDENT John Magufuli yesterday unveiled plans to transform Mwanza into East Africa’s business hub through expansion and promotion of Mwanza Airport to international standards.
The envisaged expansion works on the lakeside airport aim at attracting international airlines and tourists. Addressing a mammoth public rally here on arrival for a two-day state visit to the rocky city, President Magufuli said the airport will be improved to an international status, making it a gateway of international tourists to tourism attractions like Serengeti National Park without necessarily connecting from the neighbouring countries.
“We are determined to upgrade Mwanza Airport to international status and we are serious about it.
The aim is to turn Mwanza into East Africa’s business hub and gateway for tourists to our tourism attractions,” he said shortly after inaugurating the 4.7bn/- Furahisha Pedestrian Bridge, which local contractors and consultants designed and constructed.
He said he was aware that contractor for Mwanza Airport has 9bn/- claims to the government, saying the payments will be effected this week for the contractor to resume work and complete the ambitious project within the prescribed period.
Dr Magufuli hinted that various international institutions have expressed interest to invest in the project, naming one of them as Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) that is ready to improve the facility for Emirates Airlines to land.
He said it’s high time local experts in the country were trusted and given opportunity to undertake major projects, which have remained over the dominance of foreign contractors.
Dr Magufuli said apart from the bridge, many projects were underway. They include construction of passenger ships for Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika, Kigongo-Busisi Bridge and Mwanza Airport. He told Mwanza residents to be proud of the projects, citing the Furahisha Bridge, the new landmark of the Lakeside city.
“We need to trust our local companies, which from this bridge’s experience, have shown that they can...this bridge is one of its kind in the country but other similar big projects, funded by internally generated resources, are underway,” he said.
Dr Magufuli said construction of the new passenger ship with 1,200 passenger capacity is scheduled to begin soon, with a South Korean company having won the project tender.
The company officials were in Mwanza for initial ground works and logistical arrangements for the job to commence early next year while a joint work for major rehabilitation of MV Victoria and MV Liemba are also under the pipeline.
On the Standards Gauge Railway line Dr Magufuli said construction works have started, with the 726-kilometre stretch from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.
He referred to other mega projects as the three-kilometre Kigongo-Busisi bridge whose feasibility studies are in the final stages, saying his government is determined to prove critics wrong.
DailyNews
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