East African railways conference

[John Ashworth]

EAST AFRICAN CONFERENCE

Posted on 26 March 2010 by Railways Africa Editor

The two-day regional East African railway conference in mid-March adopted a number of resolutions and recommendations:

• EAC member states should put in place sufficient funds to be invested in rehabilitating the current East African railway system in the short term while concurrently preparing for the eventual construction of a standard gauge network.

• A Marshall Plan type revitalising of the East African railways should be underpinned by a core team that includes ministers responsible for infrastructure and finance. Other representation should include the East African Community (EAC) secretary-general’s office, the East African Business Council (EABC) chairman, the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Union and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

• Conference delegates directed the EAC secretariat to draft and share the terms of reference and working modalities of the core team by the end of April 2010.

• Conference delegates called on EAC member countries to resolve all issues with current railway concessions within one year, in order to lay a firm ground for long-term railway planning.

• It was resolved that member governments should prioritise EAC rail projects, placing emphasis on connectivity. This specifically requires attention to be focussed on existing railways at regional level, including connectivity into Burundi and Rwanda, and the linking of all EAC states and neighbouring countries to the ports of Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam.

• EAC member states are urged to develop detailed designs and “bankable” projects for the prioritised network by 2011 “with clear determination of rail gauge” and to conclude the regional policy and legal framework for the proposed public-private partnership (PPP) for railway development by August 2010.

• The secretariat was directed to draft the terms of reference for preparatory studies and to share the drafts with the World Bank, ADB, JICA and the EU by the end of April 2010 “with some focus on how to leverage private sources”.

• An EAC railways regulatory authority to be established, to coordinate among other things policy, investment, development and competition issues in the sub-sector, by June 2011.

• A project implementation unit at the EAC secretariat to be established, dedicated to railway projects’ development and implementation.

• The EAC Secretariat to be responsible for developing a proposed structure for the project implementation unit and for sharing it with partner states and development partners by the end of April 2010.

• A railways infrastructure development fund to be established, “informed by the existing road development funds in the region and the revitalisation of the erstwhile East African Community railway training schools as facilities to jointly build railways expertise and HR capacity.”

Addressing the conference, Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete said that $US20 billion is needed for upgrading the existing rail network. Although the five member states may not be able to raise the funds, they should demonstrate to development partners that they have commitment and determination to revive the rail network.

A figure of $900 billion was mentioned as the likely cost of an entirely new rail network. According to Tanzanian minister for infrastructure development Dr Shukuru Kawambwa, a master plan should be developed, to ensure a sustainable transport system that will move goods efficiently and at competitive rates, thereby supporting the development of industries and creating jobs for the people of East Africa. He revealed that only 10% of East African freight moves by rail at present. Revival of the railway network, he said, would translate into huge savings in fuel, resulting in a reduction in emissions and road traffic congestion. His government is currently implementing a transport sector investment programme (TSIP) which places emphasis on projects that facilitate regional integration. One of the multinational projects being undertaken in cooperation with Rwanda and Burundi is the upgrading of the Dar-es-Salaam-Isaka line and its extension along the routes Kigali/Keza-Gitega-Musongati.