By Isaac Zulu
A task force has been constituted to conduct a comprehensive business and technical inspection of TAZARA in readiness for the concessioning of the railway company.
TAZARA head of public relations Conrad Simuchile has confirmed the development in a statement, adding that the objective is to assess TAZARA’s operational and business model, setting the stage for the submission by China Civil and Engineering Construction Corporation of an optimized TAZARA revitalization proposal to the stakeholders of the railway company.
“Following the appointment of China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC) as the negotiator for the prospective engagement of a Chinese operator in the revitalization of TAZARA, CCECC has formed and dispatched a task force to conduct a comprehensive business and technical inspection of the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA). The inspection is to be carried out from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, with the aim being to assess TAZARA’s operational and business model, setting the stage for the submission by CCECC of an optimised TAZARA revitalization proposal to the shareholders of TAZARA,” Simuchile stated. “CCECC’s task force team will engage in substantive discussions covering critical aspects, including the operational and management model of TAZARA, the proposal financing plan facilitated by the China Development Bank, local taxation policies, and related matters. The 11-member team is led by Mr Peng Danyang, the managing director of the Ethiopia Djibouti Railway in East Africa, which operates under a public private partnership model, involving collaboration between the governments of Ethiopia and Djibouti and Railway Operation Limited, a subsidiary of CCECC.”
He further stated that this multi stage review process underscores the commitment to a comprehensive assessment and collaboration at various levels of governance before TAZARA is transferred into the hands of a Chinese investor.
“The review deliberations are positioned to enhance and refine the TAZARA revitalization proposal, preparing it for thorough consideration by successive layers of authority that have been established for TAZARA’s revitalization agenda. The proposition will undergo scrutiny by the Tanzania Zambia joint technical, followed by evaluation from the Tanzania Zambia steering committee and, ultimately, the refined proposal will be presented to the tripartite working group, which includes ministers from the governments of Tanzania and Zambia, as well as China’s Ambassadors to Tanzania and Zambia,” stated Simuchile. “This multi stage review process underscores the commitment to a comprehensive assessment and collaboration at various levels of governance before TAZARA is transferred into the hands of a Chinese investor. Emphasising the importance of these negotiations, the tripartite working group has set April 2024 as the target for the completion of the TAZARA revitalization discussions.”
