Tanzania Parliament Urges Government to Double Budget for Rural Roads

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The parliamentary Local Government Affairs Committee has urged the government to significantly boost the budget allocated for rural road upgrades to achieve the target of paving at least 70 percent of the roads across Tanzania.

Presenting its annual report covering the period through February 2024, the committee emphasized the need for increased funding for the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (Tarura) to effectively implement road infrastructure projects. Mr. Dennis Londo, the Committee’s chairperson, proposed raising the budget from the current Sh710 billion to Sh1.64 trillion annually for four consecutive years.

Mr. Londo, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for the Mikumi constituency, expressed concern that Tarura has received only 12 percent of its budget so far. He highlighted that 69 percent of Tarura-serviced roads are earthen roads, contributing to their continual deterioration, especially during heavy rainfall periods.

Out of the total district road network managed by Tarura, which spans 144,429.77 kilometers, only 2.23 percent are tarmac roads, while 28.46 percent are gravel and 69.31 percent are earthen roads.

For the fiscal year 2023/2024, Tarura was allocated Sh818.02 billion for road infrastructure repair, with only 12 percent of the funds received by December 31, 2023. This limited funding has hindered the completion of road construction and maintenance targets.

To address the budget shortfall, the committee recommended exploring alternative funding sources, including issuing Tarura Infrastructure Bonds and involving the private sector.

In addition to road infrastructure, the committee proposed enhancing the oversight of the Decentralisation-by-Devolution (D-by-D) policy to empower local government authorities (LGAs) in delivering rural development effectively. They highlighted the need for LGAs to prioritize rural development over administrative tasks.

Furthermore, the committee suggested improvements in the education sector infrastructure and increased access to medical equipment and professionals in the health sector. They called for better oversight of domestic funds to ensure timely completion of educational projects and urged the government to assess equipment needs in health facilities nationwide and allocate appropriate budgets to address them.