. Mushimba

By CHATULA KANGALI –
THE Government targets the improvement of the water transport section in the next 12 month in an holistic approach to the transport sector.
Transport and Communication Minister Brian Mushimba said the government had commenced the process of opening up water transportation which has for a long time received little investment.
He said in an interview that the Government had since started dredging canals to open up the water ways in selected parts of the country.
Mr Mushimba said that the Government has since received 18 dredging machines out of the 27 which were procured in 2012.
He said that the 18 dredging machines had since been deployed in areas that need to be worked on like the Lake Bangweulu, Lake Mweru and the Zambezi River.
“Water transportation has in history received little investment, and now this picture is changing, we want to open up the canals so that they could be used by  big vessels, in the next 12 months, they will be a lot of work going on” he said.
Mr Mushimba said the country had for a long time been using water transportation with the natural flow without any intervention and opening them up.
He said that with the opening up of the canals would increase the flow of water and enable big vessels to pass.
Mr Mushimba said that Government had also procured cargo and passenger vessels with a capacity of 300 passengers and that they would soon be commissioned.
He said that the Government was working on ensuring that all the four mode of transportation that is air, road, rail and water are made available.

By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
Government assured that the Tanzania Zambia Railways (TAZARA) will not be allowed to close down because of its importance.
Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba said the governments of Zambia and that of Tanzania are in the process of raising US$1billion to turn around the operations of the railway company.
He said the two governments plan to raise and spend $1billion to recapitalise TAZARA.
“We are not closing TAZARA, but we have embarked on a robust programme to revamp the operations of the joint owned railway company.
“We have so far spent $380 million to improve operations in the first phase and we will pump in up to $1billion,” Mr Mushimba said.
He said in an interview in Mpika at the weekend that the Government would like more cargo transported by rail as the reason for revamping the railway company.
Mr Mushimba said that since the two Governments pumped in $380 million, it had speed up the movement of cargo from the previous 30 days to seven days to reach the final destination.
He disclosed that the feasibility study to improve operations at TAZARA was under way.
“We are currently carrying out a feasibility study which has reached an advanced stage; we have gone out to find money for recapitalisation.
He has since urged TAZARA management to craft a robust 20-year revamping strategic and sustainable plan to turnaround the company and become a regional hub.