The Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority has appealed to member states to inject more funds to improve the railway line’s operations and performance.
TAZARA deputy managing director Bentram Kiswaga said in a statement that additional investments will go a long way in ensuring the performance of the railway is improved.
Mr. Kiswaga said the bi-national railway needs to procure 20 reliable locomotives to increase carriage capacity.
Currently, the Chinese-funded and -built railway has only seven reliable locomotives used for passengers and wagons with each one carrying 30,000 tonnes annually.
Citing achievements scored for three years (2014/2015 up to May 2018), Mr. Kiswaga noted that TAZARA freight volumes had increased from 88,000 tonnes to 208,000 tonnes.
Others scores were the improvement of transit time from 20-30 days to 5-7 days consistently and almost zero theft in the last three years.
Mr. Kiswaga said despite the achievements, it was unable to pay salaries as it is not making profits. TAZARA needs to transport 600,000 tonnes annually to be profitable.
This story of asking funds seem not to have any end. I ve lost counts of how many times TAZARA has been asking for these Funds
you are so right! they just have to shut this down, half of the euro bond went to TAZARA right?
Tazara is a bottomless bucket, a freeloader.In the terminology of a BCG matrix, I eiukd classify it as a dog. It needs to be hived off gorcerbmebt coffers
The same route the national airline eill ho. Always asking for more to improve operations. And like someone said, how can a monopoly fail?? The national airline will not be a monopoly so you can imagine the problems and the begging “drum” that will going round all the time
The so called smart people of the Zambian Enterprise.!!! Probably smart people yes but of the Zambian Misenterprise
Sorry, meant….I would classify it as a dog that should be hived off…