Renowned businessman Mustafa Jaffer Sabodo (C) receives a building permit of a 14-storey car park building from Ilala Municipal Mayor Jerry Slaa in Dar es Salaam yesterday. The 5bn/- project is funded by Sabodo and will be owned by the Shia community. Right is Kinondoni Municipal Mayor Yusuf Mwenda. (Photo: Khalfan Said)

Prominet Dar es Salaam businessman Mustafa Sabodo has secured a permit for the construction of a 14-storey building in Dar es Salaam’s central business district to be used for parking vehicles.

The project, estimated to cost USD3.5 million, aims to reduce the car parking problem in the city.

Sabodo was handed over the title deed for the plot by Ilala Municipality Mayor Jerry Slaa at a function held yesterday.

Sabodo said money collected from parking fees would be spent on digging boreholes to curb water shortages in Dar es Salaam.

"Through this extrovert concern for the welfare of the needy in the country we will avail some relief from shortage of the indispensable liquid for survival and economic undertakings,” Sabodo said.

The 14-storey building is to be put up along Zanaki and Indra Gandi Street and is scheduled to be completed in one year.

In his remarks, Ilala municipality mayor Jerry Slaa commended the initiative, saying it will help a great deal in reducing car parking shortage problem.

He said the project would also help in reducing accidents and traffic jams due to illegal parking.