PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday received the Africa Road Builders-Babacar Ndiaye Trophy 2022, in recognition of her commitment in the development of transport infrastructures in her country.
However, she explained that credits should go to her predecessor, the late Dr John Magufuli, president of the fifth phase government who implemented a number of infrastructure projects including roads, railways and bridges.
At the event held in Ghana's capital Accra, President Samia apart from thanking the organisers for awarding her with the trophy, said construction of infrastructural projects in her country began with the administration of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and his successor Ali Hassan Mwinyi.
She noted that the task was also inherited by other administrations, where great improvement started to be seen during the presidency of the late Benjamin Mkapa, following improvement of policies and debt relief money that Tanzania owed different countries and institutions.
"The fourth and fifth presidents Jakaya Kikwete and Dr Magufuli respectively, did a great part, but the latter did the most since he was the Minister for Works and before he became the Head of State," she said.
"If this award was to go to one person, I believe, Dr John Magufuli is the one who really deserves this, however, unfortunately he is not alive to witness fruits of what he did during his tenure in the office," added the Head of State.
President Samia was named the 2022 winner of the Africa Road Builders-Babacar Ndiaye Trophy in April.
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According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the prize is awarded to leading figures in Africa, who have demonstrated their commitments to the development of transport infrastructure in the continent.
She said increasing infrastructural connectivity is the key to development among developing countries, since it eases movement of people, goods and services.
President Samia was of the view that this connectivity should start internally before crossing borders to regional level for an improved implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Head of State also briefed delegates on the initiatives by the government of Tanzania to construct the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in a bid to improve connectivity of Tanzania to East African Community EAC member states and that of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
She said the government is currently constructing the 2,724 Kilometres of SGR line from the Port of Dar Salaam to the western zone of the country that links Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through the central corridor. "Plans are on the cards for execution of the 1,028km is SGR to the northern corridor and some 1,000km others to the southern part, the aim is to link all seven EAC member countries and the 16 countries under SADC," she said.
As part of efforts to soften interaction and address the trade barriers, President Samia said Tanzania in collaboration with border counties have built one stop border centres in all border posts. Going forward, President Samia commended the AFDB for its continued support on infrastructural projects in Tanzania, saying the institution has in the past 15 years, has supported the country with a total of 2.92bn Us Dollars.
