Three Chinese companies have started constructing seven proposed buildings at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) under a special World Bank programme to improve higher education infrastructure in the country.

The programme, which will cost 65bn/-, is meant for learning theatres at the UDSM campuses in Dar es Salaam, training of lecturers and buying of laboratory equipment and books.

Briefing reporters in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, UDSM acting vice chancellor Prof Makenya Maboko mentioned the three construction companies, which won the tenders as CRJ Construction, Six Group International Company and HAINAN International Company.

Prof Maboko urged the companies to observe construction terms and conditions and hand over the finished buildings in twelve months’ time as stipulated in the contract.

“Despite the fact that this is the loan from the World Bank it will help the UDSM to recruit more students in different faculties,” he said.

UDSM Word Bank procurement officer John Kafuku said the financial support was to ensure the UDSM had modern technological equipment and learning facilities for social sciences and engineering students.

Kafumu named the faculties benefiting from the programme as the Faculty of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, Aquatic Science and Engineering. He said others would be online training and technological science buildings.

“We have planned 28bn/- to cover construction of the buildings, 18bn/- will cover the purchase of library and laboratory equipment, 17bn/- will be used for training 117 lecturers to the level of masters and the remaining amount will be used in training associate lecturers at PhD level,” he noted.

For his part, National Estates & Designing Consultants Co Ltd (Nedco) operations director Mbaraka Igangula urged the government to start training her own people to be competent constructors for the betterment of the country.

He said the current concern for the government was to ensure there was relief especially in bank loans to native constructors for them to borrow money for construction equipment at a reasonable rate.