New Minister for Transport urges workers to uphold the vision of TAZARA

The new Minister for Transport, Works and Communications of the United Republic of Tanzania, Honourable Professor Makame Mbarawa on Wednesday 6th January 2016 visited the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), where he assured the workers that the two Governments of Tanzania and Zambia were doing everything possible to revitalize the Authority. The Hon. Minister emphasized that although the idea of TAZARA was conceived by the founding fathers whose legacy ought to be upheld, the responsibility to sustain TAZARA lied with the current generation. He told the workers that they should consider themselves privileged to work in a company that served the interest of two nations and called on all employees to ensure that the Authority’s vision was realized. Hon.Mbarawa encouraged the workers to work as a team and urged them to unite and work for a common goal, which was TAZARA. “No individual interests should be placed above TAZARA and you must desist from nationality tendencies and uphold the laid down procedures and regulations. Everyone must be treated equally in accordance with the stipulated rules and regulations. There must be no national interest but the fostering of the TAZARA vision,” said the Minister. Hon. Mbarawa urged the management to engage in aggressive marketing and position the Authority in a competitive manner in order to survive in the free market era. “Currently there are so many trackers that compete for the same traffic with the railways and unless workable strategies and plans are formulated, TAZARA may not realize reasonable business levels for its sustenance,” said the Minister. The Minister also called for the upholding of transparency, ensuring that all the workers were made aware of the achievements and challenges to avoid unnecessary conflicts, which often led to work stoppages. Hon. Mbarawa further said that the Government would not condone any corruption in the operations of TAZARA and warned that from the reports he had received so far, the relevant authorities would institute investigations immediately to identify culprits amongst both management and the general workforce. On calls for the revising of the TAZARA Act, the Minister said that the exercise had commenced and reached an advanced stage. The Minister was visiting TAZARA for the first time, barely a week after being appointed as the new Minister responsible for Transport, Works and Communications. ENDS Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority Issued by: Samuel Sholobela Co-ordinating Head of Public Relations