Tanzania and the French Development Agency (AFD) have signed three loan agreements totaling TZS 592 billion for rural electricity supply projects, the electricity connection to connect Tanzania and Zambia as well as the completion of a clean water project. and sewage in cities around Lake Victoria.
While signing the deal, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Doto James said that the rural electrification project will cost 100 million euros (Shs. 257.64 billion) and will be distributed across 16 regions of Mainland Tanzania and the electricity project to connect Tanzania and Zambia.
James said all three projects that are signed are in line with the Tanzania Development Vision 2025, which is leading the country’s development efforts until 2025 and is currently being implemented through Phase Two of the National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP II) 2016 / 17 – 2020/21.
He added that the goals of the vision are to enhance, coordinate and direct the efforts of Tanzanians, ideas and national resources on key sectors that will enable the country to achieve development and withstand greater economic competition.
In terms of the water project, James said the completion of the project would enable access to water from 33,000 cubic meters to 108,000 cubic meters per day as well as enable the City of Morogoro to get an estimated water demand of 126,253 cubic meters day, by 2035.
Tanzania has been benefiting from AFD funding especially in the energy, water, transport and agriculture sectors through a number of various ongoing projects and one that is expected to start soon.
The seven projects that are being implemented in various sectors in the country through the aid and loans provided by the organization amount to approximately 154.5 million euros (Shs. 387.6 billion).
For her part, the Director of the French Development Agency (AFD), Stephanie Essombe has promised that the organization will continue to work with the Tanzanian government to ensure that it achieves its goals in improving the lives of citizens, especially in access to water.
“Tanzanian cooperation with the French Development Agency (AFD) which started 20 years ago has intensified while in the last 10 years the organization has invested about 258 million euros (approximately 655 billion shillings),” said Ms. Essombe.
