CONSTRUCTION of two modern fish markets in Mwanza Region kicked off here on October 1 at a cost of 22bn/-.

The projects are Kirumba Fish Market in Ilemela Municipality which will cost over 14.7bn/- and Mkuyuni Fish Market in Mwanza City, costing 7.36bn/-.

 The projects are being implemented through the Tanzania Cities Transforming Infrastructure and Competitiveness 

 (TACTIC) project funded by a World Bank (WB) loan.

During the signing of the contracts yesterday, Minister of State in the President's Office (Regional Administration and Local Government) Mohamed Mchengerwa said that the projects aim to accelerate development for Tanzanians, particularly for fishers and those benefiting from the fish trade.

He instructed contractors involved in road projects under the TACTIC initiative to ensure timely completion, stating that no extensions will be granted beyond the agreed timeframe.

"Regional commissioner must oversee the contractors to ensure projects are completed on time; we will not allow any contractor extra time," he said.

He directed Chief Executive Officer of Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) to initiate construction of a 10-km tarmac road in Mwanza City, stressing that the government will not accept roads that have not been upgraded to tarmac standards.

He instructed all district executive directors nationwide to ensure that all implemented projects, including bus terminals and markets, are self-sustaining and generate value for Tanzanians.

Mchengerwa also urged directors to monitor various projects under the ministry effectively by ensuring they are completed on time and start serving Tanzanians.

Earlier, TARURA CEO Victor Seff provided an overview of the TACTIC projects being implemented across Tanzania, noting that the overall cost exceeds $410 million.

He explained that the TACTIC project's objective is to improve infrastructure in 45 urban areas in Tanzania while building capacity of councils to enhance urban management and revenue collection.

Seff detailed that the Mkuyuni Fish Market project will involve constructing the market and access roads at a cost of over 7.36bn/- .

Nyamagana MP Stanslaus Mabula said that the Mkuyuni Fish Market previously accommodated over 300 small traders, and the new market will have the capacity to support over 800 traders.

He urged the government to ensure that those who were previously operating in the area are reinstated once the project is completed.