The review connects delivery of Tanzania’s SGR investment with accountability for public spending. Across the four sections inspected, the central issue is whether construction meets the required timetable and quality standards while delivering value for taxpayers’ money.
For TRC and its contractors, addressing the identified challenges requires close supervision and cooperation with government and oversight institutions. TRC links that cooperation to project quality, efficiency and improvements in rail transport services.
Tanzania’s Controller and Auditor General (CAG), Charles E. Kichere, has inspected construction progress on four sections of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) during a four-day visit.
The sections visited were Makutupora–Tabora, Tabora–Kigoma, Tabora–Isaka and Isaka–Mwanza. The visit aimed to assess project implementation, identify challenges and review measures to complete the works on time and to the required standards.
Kichere said the scale of investment placed responsibility on the CAG’s office to ensure public funds were used efficiently and delivered value for money. He said the SGR project cost more than TSh35 trillion and that the office was responsible for examining how taxpayers’ money was spent.
He said the projects were generally progressing well and urged Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) to continue closely supervising contractors to ensure the work met the required quality standards.
Meshack Anyingisye, the Ministry of Finance’s Commissioner for Budget, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said the Government could address the few challenges identified and would work to improve project implementation.
TRC Director General Eng. Machibya M. Shiwa said the visit helped the Corporation and contractors identify implementation challenges and seek solutions. He said cooperation between TRC, contractors and public spending oversight institutions was important to project quality, efficiency and value for money, and to improving rail transport services for citizens.
