Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | THE INDEPENDENT) | The construction of the $3.5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) is scheduled to start next month, Tanzanian newspaper The Citizen has reported today.
Quoting Tanzania’s Foreign Affairs minister Palamagamba Kabudi, , Foreign Affairs minister Palamagamba Kabudi, The Citizen said the decision was confirmed last week during his visit to France.
In France, Kabudi met Total Oil Company director for Africa Division Nicolas Terraz where they discussed commencement of work.
“While in France I held talks with Total director who assured me that all is set for the construction of the pipeline to kick off in the second week of next month,” said Prof Kabudi according to The Citizen.
In September last year, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni made a rare visit in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic to Tanzania to sign a deal with his Tanzanian counterpart, John Magufuli to hasten the implementation of the Eacop project.
Earlier, Uganda signed the Host Government Agreement (HGA) with Total on the multibillion dollar Eacop Project that paves the way for the construction of a crude oil pipeline to Tanga port.
The 1,447-kilometre pipeline will be used for transportation of crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Tanga port for export overseas.
The pipeline, two thirds of which will pass through Tanzania, will generate at least 4,700 direct employments and 27,000 indirect jobs, according to Prof Kabudi.
Unlike other East African countries, Tanzania did not lockdown due to COVID-19, and the economy continued running normally to this day.
Several projects, completed in the past one year, were launched yesterday by COVID-19 skeptic John Pombe Magufuli.
He on Wednesday, again mask-less, launched two big projects, a $250million flyover and inter-change in the city of Dar, built in 30 months to help bring an end to traffic jams, and a mega $30million bus terminal, to ease transport and decongest the capital.
Magufuli said the competition of the two projects show the world can go on despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Bulldozer’ Magufuli warned all contractors in Tanzania who are giving COVID-19 as an excuse to delay work, they will be fired.
The flyover, one of 10 being built in the city, was constructed at a traffic black spot, that previously was seen as the main cause of traffic jam in the city. “Many people failed to reach the airport in time, failed to be in time for their weddings, failed to get home in time because of this black spot,” Magufuli said at the launch of the flyover.
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