THE Tanzania-Uganda Road Project linking the two countries is set to kick off soon. According to the East African Community (EAC) deputy secretary general (Planning and Infrastructure) Steven Mlote, funds are currently being mobilised for that purpose.
The Tanzania-Uganda roads will cover a total of 252km and will be implemented under the Tanzania-Uganda Road Project being coordinated by the EAC. The Masaka-Mutukula section will cover 89km while the Mutukula-Kyaka section has a length of 30km. Mutukula-Kyaka highway will link to a 133km Tanzanian section from Bugene to Kumunazi via Kasulo in the western regions.
Mlote added that the Tanzania-Uganda Road Project aims to improve intra-EAC transport. ‘The purpose is to facilitate the development of the regional road transport market in the East African region,’ he said while receiving final designs from the project consultants in Arusha.
Funding the multi-million dollar project
He praised the African Development Bank (AfDB), which is funding the project under its Nepad Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (IPPF). This is a special fund established to assist African countries and the regional economic communities (RECs) like the EAC with grants for implementation of mega infrastructure projects.
NEPAD-IPPF supports the development of regional and continental infrastructure projects by providing Financial Grants to African Governments, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and African infrastructure-related institutions (Power Pools, Corridor Agencies, etc) to prepare high-quality bankable trans-boundary projects in energy, trans-boundary water resources, transport and ICT able to attract financing for implementation to achieve development outcomes.
There is no definitive minimum or maximum funding as the actual funding depends on the specific project and larger projects can be done on a co-financing basis with other partners.
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