The government has signed a contract for a soft loan amounting to US 54.3 million US dollars, (87bn/-), with South Korea Export Import (EXIM) Bank, for the construction of National Identification Authority (NIDA) processing and production centre.
The Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Dr William Mgimwa
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister for Finance, Dr William Mgimwa, said the entire project entails the construction of a national identification processing and disaster recovery site to safeguard the system whenever disaster strikes.
The functions of the centre will include data processing, data analysis and data storage of all collected data. Under the centre the government of Korea will also construct 13 registration offices.
“We are immensely grateful to the people and government of South Korea for the soft loan, which will enable us have offices and modern equipment for processing and production of national IDs,” he explained.
He added that the nation acknowledges efforts by the South Korea government in supporting the government in development issues geared to improving the economy and reducing poverty.
Dr Mgimwa said this was not the first time for the country’s EXIM Bank to provide soft loans to the government for implementing development projects, adding that it provided US 25 million dollars for construction of the Malagarasi bridge in Kigoma Region.
Other projects funded by EXIM Bank include the Tanzania Energy Development and Access Project (TEDAP) (US 25 million dollars), Backbone Transmission Investment Project (BTIP) (US 36.4 million dollars) and improvement of water distribution systems in Dodoma Region (US 49.6 million dollars).
For his part, the bank’s Chairman and President, Mr Yong Hwan Kim, said once the project was completed and running it would boost the country’s development and help alleviate poverty. Mr Hwan Kim said Tanzania’s good leadership will help bring more development to the country just like it happened in South Korea.
By ROSE ATHUMANI, Tanzania Daily News
