THE government has saved billions of shillings by using local contractors in building Mbutu Bridge, in Igunga District, Tabora Region.
While on a tour in Tabora to inspect the project, the Minister for Works, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, said the government has saved 18bn/- from the project whose cost would have been more than that.
Dr Magufuli revealed that the project has cost the government 12bn/- only, however, if foreign contractors were employed it would have cost 30bn/-.
The Mbutu Bridge project which also incudes construction of a 3 kilometre stretch of the road is being implemented by 13 local contractors who have joined hands to form what is known as “Mbutu Bridge Joint Venture” under the supervision of 2 local consultant engineers known as PIDAEL Joint Venture.
The 12bn/- which covers both the consultation fees by PIDAEL Joint Venture and implementation of the project by Mbutu Bridge Joint Ventures, is being covered by the government.
The contract for the Mbutu Bridge project was signed in April 2012 and will be completed by end of this year.
“I am satisfied with the work being done by the local contractors on this project and I can see that almost 80 per cent of the work has been completed, this is good work, keep it up,” Dr Magufuli told the contractors.
Dr Magufuli said the Mbutu Bridge project is a clear testimony of local contractors’ ability to handle big projects, impressing upon them to ensure it is completed on time.
The Minister encouraged people living in Tabora Region and those that will use the bridge to utilize the opportunities that will come once the the project is completed, underscoring the need to adhere to traffic laws to ensure the bridge is safeguarded.
The Igunga District Commissioner, Mr Elibariki Kingu, said the bridge will indeed bring economical and developmental opportunites to the region and the country in general.
Once the bridge and its roads are completed, it will bring social and economic opportunities to the area, including transportation of commercial goods within and outside the region.
The number of vehicles plying the route due to business opportunities available will also increase. Meanwhile, Dr John Magufuli has assured the public in Igunga that the government will construct tarmac roads from Igunga to Mbutu.
The Minister’s remarks follow public appeals in the area to make transportation of commercial goods and movement of people easier.
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