“The importance of improving infrastructures cannot be underestimated, it is crucial that we continue putting in place proper roads and the needed facilitation for business and economic wellbeing of the people,” he said. “Plans are on card to construct the railway in the southern regions, a move that will link Tanzania and other counties in the southern part of Tanzania, in an effort to continue opening up the country and facilitate trade,” explained the head of state.įor his part, President Kenyatta of Kenya said the project is a right platform for enhancing business among citizens of the two countries, a move that will also stimulate the economies. She said, apart from road projects, the government is also working to improve marine and air transport as well as constructing Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to link other countries in the bloc. President Samia also seized the occasion to assure Tanzanians and EAC leaders of the government's commitment to continue working on infrastructure projects for the sake of improving domestic and cross border business. It forms part of the larger East African Road Network consisting of 15,000 kilometres of the international highways and part of the Trans African Highway (TAH) number 8 from Cape Town in South Africa to Cairo in Egypt via Gaborone in Botswana. The launched project that was constructed at a cost of 197.4bn/- being a soft loan from African Development Bank (AfDB) is part of the multinational Arusha-Holili-Voi road which is a successor to the Arusha-Namanga-Athi River road that was completed in 2012. “This road is going to open up economic opportunities, among others in the tourism sector, I urge people living near the project area to make better use of the opportunities coming across for the economic gains at individual, national and bloc levels,” she said. Speaking during the event, President Samia said the project will fuel economic activities, especially in the tourism sector for people in Arusha, and others in the northern regions that are being connected by the just completed 42.4 km road. The project that was inaugurated on Friday by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her Kenyan counterpart, who doubles as EAC Chairperson Uhuru Kenyatta, aims at opening the country by facilitating movement of goods, people and services to and from Kenya. THE completion of 42.4 kilometres of the East African Cooperation (EAC) Arusha bypass road brings a number of trade, business and investment opportunities for Tanzanians and others from the regional bloc.