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The World Bank has approved new financing grant amounting to US$270 million to improve transport and trade connectivity between Zambia and Tanzania.
This would be done through the implementation of the six-year Transport Corridors for Economic Resilience (TRACER) project.
The project would rehabilitate the Serenje-Mpika section of the corridor, developing a One Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Nakonde and converting the existing corridor into a Safety, Mobility, Automated, Real-time Traffic Management (SMART) corridor.
The World bank in a statement issued on Wednesday indicated that the project would benefit 2,500,000 people in Zambia, approximately 13 percent of the population.
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“This includes 500,000 direct beneficiaries within Zambia, with an additional 2,000,000 individuals set to experience indirect advantages.
“The project’s reach extends beyond borders, positively impacting communities in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi,” it stated.
Commenting on the project, World Bank Country Manager for Zambia, Achim Fock, expressed confidence that the transport and logistics sector were expected to experience a boost from targeted activities aimed at institutional and sectoral capacity building.
“TRACER is a significant commitment to regional trade and transportation. By focusing on strategic improvements and climate resilience, we hope this will pave the way for a more robust and sustainable economic future for Zambia and its neighbours,” Fock said.
The project is also expected to address the challenges of inadequate trade and transport facilitation systems, missing and weak infrastructure links and inefficient transport and logistics that the region frequently faces.
World Bank Senior Transport Specialist and Project Team Leader, Aymen Ahmed Osman Ali, also commented: “TRACER is not just about infrastructure; it’s about people.
“From cargo owners to local communities, the ripple effects of improved transport corridors will be felt across the region, driving development and facilitating trade in unprecedented ways.”
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