CHINA TO SPEND US1BN TO REVAMP TAZARA

CHINA has indicated that it plans to spend US$1 billion to revamp the Tanzania – Zambia Railway in order to control critical mineral trade routes.

The project connecting Zambia’s Copperbelt with Dar es Salaam will compete with US- and EU-backed links between resource-rich areas and Angola port.

According to the South China Morning Post, plans to spend US$1 billion to refurbish a key railway line connecting Zambia’s Copperbelt region with the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam under its Belt and Road Initiative.

Speaking during the handover ceremony recently where he handed over a proposal to rehabilitate the TAZARA railway to Transport Minister Frank Tayali, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Du Xiaohui said the US$1 billion investment would be done through a Public- Private Partnership (PPP) over the coming years.

Mr. Du said China would work with its “Zambian brothers and Tanzanian sisters” to strengthen cooperation and benefit the three countries.

“The Chinese side wants to use the PPP model to invest over US$1 billion in the coming years,” Du said.