Tanzania is beaming with the hope that transporting goods within the country and to neighboring countries will become cheaper by 2027 when construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is complete, after two Chinese companies signed an agreement to build the final stage of the railroad.
Two companies, China Civil Engineering Corporation (CCECC) and China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), will build the final 506-kilometer section to complete the railway linking the port of Dar es Salaam to landlocked neighbors Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Also, read; Rapper Meek Mill Pays Bail for 20 Philadelphia Women to Spend Holidays With Their Families
“Once the SGR is completed, Tanzania will be in a better position to use its geostrategic position to facilitate cross-border trade,” President Samia said at a meeting in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday after the treaty signing ceremony.
President Samia defended the project amid growing criticism of over-indebtedness, saying, “Today’s pain for Tanzanians will be tomorrow’s long-term gain.”
“We have to borrow for this important infrastructure and other sustainable development projects because we don’t have enough domestic resources,” she said.
Chief Samia said that Tanzania’s investment in the People’s Republic of China has already reached Sh24 trillion (US$10.04 billion), including the latest contract.
