The government's investment in strategic road infrastructure in southern Tanzania offers tangible evidence that development loans are being channelled into productive projects that support economic growth and improve livelihoods, Works Minister Abdallah Ulega has said.
Speaking during an inspection of the 160-kilometre Mnivata–Newala–Masasi road, which is under construction to tarmac standard, Mr Ulega said concessional loans obtained from development partners are financing infrastructure that will generate long-term economic returns rather than short-term consumption.
"The results are visible. Roads that improve transport, facilitate trade and accelerate development activities demonstrate how development loans are being translated into real benefits for Tanzanians," he said.
Mr Ulega said Mtwara is among the country's biggest beneficiaries of government spending on road infrastructure, ranking third after Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.
"Dar es Salaam has received the largest share because it serves the entire nation, while Dodoma follows as the seat of government. Mtwara comes next because of the strategic importance of the region," he said.
He described the Mnivata–Newala–Masasi highway as one of Tanzania's most economically significant road projects, noting that it serves the country's major cashew-producing belt.
More than half of Tanzania's cashew crop is transported along the corridor, making the road critical to reducing transport costs, improving market access and strengthening agricultural value chains.
The minister said improved connectivity is expected to stimulate trade, attract private investment and unlock broader economic opportunities across the southern regions.
Nanyamba MP Abdallah Chikota said the project provides a practical response to critics who question how government borrowing is being utilised.
He noted that the road is being financed through more than Sh230 billion in funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB), arguing that the investment demonstrates the government's policy of directing concessional borrowing towards high-impact development projects.
"When people ask where development loans have gone, this road is the answer. It is visible evidence that borrowed funds are financing infrastructure that will serve citizens and support economic development for decades," Mr Chikota said.
Newala Urban MP Rashid Mtima said residents of Mtwara welcomed the government's decision to modernise the region's road network, describing it as the fulfilment of a long-standing development aspiration.
He said the improved roads would ease the movement of people and goods, lower transport costs and expand economic opportunities in one of Tanzania's key agricultural regions.
