THE Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) reports that China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has dispatched a task force to conduct a comprehensive business and technical inspection of the railway from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Kapiri-Mposhi in Zambia.
CCECC has been appointed as the negotiator for the prospective engagement of a Chinese operator to participate in the revitalisation of the Tazara.
The findings of the 11-member task force will inform the preparation by CCECC of a revitalisation proposal that will be submitted to the shareholders of Tazara. The railway is owned by the governments of Tanzania and Zambia on a joint and equal basis.
The CCECC task force is led by Mr Peng Danyang, managing director of the Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway. Tazara notes that this railway operates under a public-private partnership (PPP) involving the governments of Ethiopia and Djibouti and the CCECC subsidiary Railway Operation.
Tazara says that the task force will consider topics including the operational and management model of Tazara, the proposed financing plan facilitated by China Development Bank, and local taxation policy.
CCECC’s revitalisation proposal will be considered by the Tanzania-Zambia Joint Technical Committee, and then evaluated by the Tanzania-Zambia Steering Committee.
The proposal will finally be presented to the Tripartite Working Group, which includes ministers from Tanzania and Zambia, as well as the Chinese ambassadors to these countries.
Tazara says that the multi-stage review process underscores the commitment to comprehensive assessment and collaboration at the various levels of governance before Tazara is transferred to a Chinese Investor.
The Tripartite Working Group has set April as the target date for completing discussions over the Tazara revitalisation project.
