The minister made this appeal in Dodoma early this week during discussions with AfDB Director General Amos Cheptoo on the implementation and development of road projects financed by the bank.
He said: “We thank AfDB for being among our important stakeholders in financing the construction and improvement of many of our roads. We ask you to continue doing that since we need to connect our roads with neighbouring countries.”
In the past 11 years AfDB has provided more than 2tr/- for construction and improvement of 1,655 kms of roads, out which 1,168 kms has already been completed, he stated.
Road projects that received AfDB financing in partnership with other development stakeholders and now completed include the improvement of Arusha-Namanga road (105kms), Singida-Babati-Minjingu road (223.5 kms), Iringa-Dodoma road (260kms) and Namtumbo-Tunduru road (193 kms).
Other road projects financed by AfDB and whose work is ongoing are Tabora-Koga-Mpanda (349 kms), Dar Rapid Transit (DART) Phase II, Tanga-Pangani-Bagamoyo road (246 kms), Dodoma Capital city peripheral roads, and the construction of Msalato Airport in Dodoma.
On his part the AfDB CEO Cheptoo said AfDB will continue financing various projects including road infrastructures with intent to facilitate economic development.
He was in Tanzania to inspect the implementation of various projects financed by AfDB, he added.