By Alfred Zacharia
The Chief Executive Officer of the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA), Engineer Victor Seff, has called on contractors implementing emergency road works across the country to adhere to project timelines while observing workplace safety and environmental protection standards.
Speaking during a coordination meeting held in Dar es Salaam, Eng. Seff stressed the importance of professionalism and compliance with contract agreements in the execution of projects under the Special Emergency Road Construction (SERC) programme.
“You must ensure all projects are completed within the agreed timelines. At the same time, safety protocols and environmental protection measures must be strictly followed as stipulated in the contract documents,” he said.
The emergency infrastructure projects are part of government efforts to repair roads, bridges, and crossings damaged by the recent El Niño-induced rains, which affected various regions of Tanzania.
Eng. Seff’s remarks were echoed by Engineer Humphrey Kanyenye, the World Bank Project Coordinator at TARURA, who assured contractors of the agency’s full support to ensure the projects are delivered efficiently and in accordance with global standards—especially in terms of environmental safeguards.
“As coordinators of these projects, we are committed to working closely with each contractor to ensure that environmental and operational standards are not compromised. This is especially important given that these projects are supported under World Bank funding,” Eng. Kanyenye said.
On his part, TARURA Dar es Salaam Regional Manager, Engineer Geofrey Mkinga, pledged close collaboration with contractors to ensure timely delivery of the emergency works in the commercial capital, which is among the regions with a high number of SERC projects.
“We will work hand in hand with all contractors to ensure that implementation is fast-tracked. Dar es Salaam has a number of critical interventions under SERC, and timely delivery is key to meeting public expectations,” he said.
During the meeting, contractors were also given the opportunity to raise questions and seek clarification on technical and procedural aspects of the project.
They were assured that the government, through TARURA and the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), would ensure that any bureaucratic bottlenecks are resolved promptly to facilitate smooth execution.
The SERC projects are being implemented under the second phase of the Dar es Salaam Metropolitan Development Project (DMDP II), coordinated by the Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government. The implementation mandate has been delegated to TARURA to oversee on-the-ground execution.
The DMDP II is a key initiative aimed at strengthening urban resilience and improving road infrastructure in flood-prone areas, ensuring sustainable access to transport and enhancing the country’s preparedness for future climate-related disruptions.