Wednesday December 20, 2023
TANZANIAN and Ugandan governments have embarked on the Multinational Lake Victoria Maritime Communication and Transport (MLVMCT) project physical works.
The project is implemented through Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) in Ilemela District, where the Tanzanian government has offered 13,827 square metre land for among others, installation of the Search and Rescue main Station.
“Such a communication tower is especially for improvement of marine transport in Lake Victoria, security-wise. Every user of the Lake should be safe,” the Tanzania National Project Coordinator from Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC), Captain Emmanuel Marijani stated.
The construction cost at Ilemela site is 1.87 million US dollar a part from the grant that has been secured by two governments from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to him, using its own financial source, Tanzania is also on the construction of the Search and Rescue sub-stations at Nansio, Kanyara and Musoma ports (Tanzania), whose installation is at 25 per cent as of now.
What is done in Tanzania is also taking place in Uganda, including the construction of the centres for marine accidents’ victims gathering and emergency medical care services.
The purchase and installation of a weather forecasting system, expansion of telephone communication scope on the Lake, as well as offering rescue -related public education to communities around the search and rescue towers are all part of the project.
The communication number for rescue service will also be similar for both countries, as anyone in need of help on Lake Victoria will be making a free call to 110 on her/his mobile phone.
LVBC Executive Secretary, Dr Masinde Bwire, commented that once it is operational, the project is set to make marine transport safe, secure, reliable and dependable, significantly reducing those tragedies in Lake Victoria.
It will be easy to connect the Eastern part of DRC Congo to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, he added, also easing the cargo and good ferrying, as well as other marine services to more countries like South Sudan and Somalia and impressing them to use the Lake.
Again, studies have been also conducted, showing that the region can bring in about 60 million US dollar revenue annually, if marine transport is well improved, affirmed Dr Bwire.