Local contractors to vie for Standard Gauge Railway project tender

THE government is set to advertise a tender for construction of the Standard Gauge Railway earlier in December, this year, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Professor Makame Mbarawa, has said.

Prof Mbarawa made the revelation in Dar es Salaam yesterday while calling on local construction firms to form joint ventures to win the tender, adding that 1 trillion/- have been set aside for the tender.

The railway would link Tanzania and the landlocked East African countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi towards facilitating transport in the central corridor.

“We (government) are preparing to advertise a tender for laying out the construction of the standard gauge railway on December 8, this year…1tri/- have been set aside for that work,” he said, stressing that the joint venture would help the locals to grab the opportunity.

The minister was speaking at the opening of the 26th Stakeholder Workshop organised by the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Registration Board (AQRB).

Implementation of the project (Construction of the Standard Gauge Railway) is set to be implemented in four phases and according to Prof Mbarawa, the first phase will start from Morogoro to Tabora - connecting to Isaka.

He warned that it was unhealthy for local contractors to trade individually as the move hampers the development of the construction industry in the country.

Prof Mbarawa said the ministry had lined up many tenders for developing infrastructure such as roads, airfields and thus local contractors should prepare to take over the tenders for the good of the industry and the nation in general.

He said 46 per cent of the national development budget had been directed to the construction of the infrastructure. Meanwhile, Prof Mbarawa has directed the AQRB to ensure immediate deregistration and blacklisting of unscrupulous contractors who flout the country’s laws.

“Those who fail to manage the country’s projects as the law and procedures state should be deregistered immediately and their list be published,” he said, adding that the move would help deter those who might be tempted to engage in such acts.