Posted on :Tuesday , 30th July 2024

Innocent Bashungwa, Minister of Construction, explained that 34 billion shillings were recently assigned for the construction of an integrated Customs Center (One Stop Boarder Post-OSBP) in the Manyovu area, which is on the border of Tanzania and Burundi, that will assist the Kigoma Region do trade with neighbouring countries.

Bashungwa announced this to the people of Mnanira and Manyovu during the visit of Hon. Dr. Philip Mpango, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, to assess development initiatives in the Kigoma region.

The Ministry of Construction has already begun looking for a contractor to construct an advanced facility in the country of Tanzania, with 34 billion granted for construction work, according to Bashungwa.

Bashungwa added that the Center will be advanced and, upon its completion, will help improve economic activity and enable the Kigoma Region to establish itself as an economic hub for the country and neighbours such as Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Furthermore, Bashungwa announced that the Ministry of Construction is going to collaborate closely with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that citizens who pledge to construct the Joint Customs Center are given compensation in the amount of 1.7 billion shillings at the beginning of construction.

In addition, Bashungwa pledged to hand over the Malagarasi - Ilunde - Uvinza road (51.1 km), Kasulu - Buhigwe to Manyovu (68.2 km), and Kasulu - Kibondo road (16 km) to the citizens of Kigoma Region in March 2025 to promote business operations and boost investment in the entire area.

Bashungwa also stated that as part of the Kasulu - Buhigwe - Manyovu roads project, the Road Agency (TANROADS) will be constructing an innovative roundabout in Buhigwe to further enhance the town's aesthetics.

Providing more details about the project, the Manager of the Road Agency (TANROADS) Kigoma Region Engineer Narcis Choma highlighted the initiatives to support the community (CSR) that exist in the Kasulu - Buhigwe - Manyovu road project, whereby the Buhigwe District's infrastructure for waste water and clean water will be constructed, simultaneously with the Bus Station's construction and the Buhigwe Market's renovation. He highlighted that the contractors for these projects have already been identified and are prepared to get started at any moment.