BY LUSEKELO PHILEMON
21st January 2013
Gas reserves in the country are already causing domestic upheaval even before actual extraction as residents of Mtwara raise concern that they were being ignored in the development project in favour of Dar es Salaam where the Mtwara extracted gas is to be piped to.
However, addressing journalists yesterday in Arusha, the deputy minister for Energy and Minerals George Simbachawene said: “I don’t see the reason as why people are opposing the project despite the myriads of benefit the country is expected to get…”
The minister added that upon its completion, Mtwara will receive 0.3 percent of the total income that will be collected from the project.
“This is a huge amount of money and there are lots of investors who are waiting for the completion of the project to set up new industries that will employ many of the Mtwara residents…” he affirmed, giving the gas processing plant, cement and fertilizers factories as some of the plants to be built in the region.
According to the minister, the government has all financial resources needed for the project which is to be completed within eight months and a contractor for the project is already on the working site.
“We are interested to see this project start and be completed as soon as possible…” he asserted and asked Tanzanians to be patient.
He described the protest against the project as a politically motivated venture, without any national development agenda, only seeking to cause destruction.
Recently people from Mtwara staged a demonstration against the government’s plan to pump the natural gas to Dar es Salaam.
The protest themed: ‘Natural gas comes before political affiliations’ was organised by eight opposition political parties. Their sympathisers called for the industrial investment to be made in Mtwara and not in Dar es Salaam.
The minister explained that once piped to Dar es Salaam, the natural gas will serve the nation as a whole in a host of development projects including, domestic use as well as to power various production plants and is expected to reduce the cost incurred in importing fuel.
“With these unprecedented climatic changes, natural gas is the most economical and viable way to go…” the minister said noting that upon completion of the project, the country will enjoy about 2,780 megawatts which will have a positive impact on growth.
“It is time we Tanzanians put aside our political differences and built our nation…” the Minister asserted.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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