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Controversial radar switched off
2008-08-26 10:14:11
By Njonanje Samwel
The multi-billion air traffic control system at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam has developed a technical glitch, The Guardian can authoritatively report.
The combined civilian and military radar system, which the UK`s BAE Systems sold to Tanzania in 2001, has been non-operational for over a month now.
Infrastructure Development minister Dr Shukuru Kawambwa said in a recent interview that he was unaware of such developments, but yesterday, Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority director general Margaret Munyagi confirmed the information.
``Yes, the air traffic control system (radar) has been switched off,`` said the TCAA head during an interview.
According to her, the USD40m (over 40bn/-) equipment had been ``switched off`` after a component that supplies emergency power during interruption became defective.
``As a precaution, we decided to switch it off to avoid anything wrong that would happen from running it without the component,`` she explained.
The component, which is part of the radar system she identified as uninterruptible power supply (UPS), is used to provide backup power when commercial current is off.
However, Munyagi downplayed the technical glitch, saying was ``normal and a minor one,`` and would not affect airport services and other operations.
She said TCAA technicians were working on an option to procure from abroad a new UPS as soon as possible. She said the authority was now sorting out quotations from various UPS suppliers.
In an earlier interview, Dr Kawambwa dismissed the reports as mere speculation.
``I have no such information. If there is any, it would just be mere speculation,`` he said. He, however, promised to find out the truth on the matter.
In 2001, the government bought the radar from the British giant weapons and rms manufacturer — British Aerospace (BAE).
The move however, was strongly opposed by members from both, UK’s House of Commons and the Parliament of Tanzania.
The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Civil Aviation Organisation also revealed their opposition to the deal, saying it was not economical.
ICAO made it clear that the technology was old-fashioned and expensive, that it would cover only half the country at best, and would not provide the country with the air traffic control that it needed to develop its tourist industry.
Members of the UK’s lower house expressed grave concern and they accused bribery in the process of its sale.
One of them, Clare Short, had told the House of Commons: ``I should say to the House that the police came to see me and said that they have documents showing that it was bribery.``
UK`s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is currently investigating claims that BAE Systems bribed some Tanzanian officials and businessmen to help push the deal through, fully knowing that the facility involved had used ageing technology that was both inadequate and too expensive.
The radar scandal started way back in 1999, when the government of Tanzania signed a contract with BAE Systems for a combined civilian and military-use radar system.
Two years later, a World Bank report concluded that the system offered poor value for money and was unsuitable for Tanzania`s needs.
The World Bank subsequently asked the ICAO for a more detailed report, and, in November 2001, the ICAO report raised concerns about the project and recommended a further report.
During an official tour of Western Europe, President Jakaya Kikwete expressed concern over the issue and censured London for allowing its company—BAE Systems to ``steal`` poor Tanzanian tax-payers` money.
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