By Joseph Muhozi, Dodoma

The Government has revealed the plan to procure five new aircrafts for Air Tanzania Company Limited in the Financial Year 2023/24, TPJ has learnt.

This has been put to light by the Minister for Finance and Planning, Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba when presenting to Members of Parliament in Dodoma, March 13, 2023 the Government National Development Plan for Financial Year 2023/24.

According to him, the government is planning to collect and spend 44.3 trillion/-, of which 15.1 trillion/- will be for development and 29.2 trillion/- for recurrent expenditure.

The minister said in effort to improve ATCL’s passenger services, the Government will procure one Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, two Boeing 737-9, one De Havilland Dash 8 Q400 as well as one Boeing 767-300F for transportation of cargo.

“Boeing 767-300F will arrive in March 2023, one Boeing 737-9 will arrive in July 2023 while the other will arrive in October 2023,” said Dr. Nchemba, adding that Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will arrive in November 2023 while De Havilland Dash 8-Q400 will arrive in 2023.

The minister further said that ATCL improvement would also include construction and maintenance of office buildings at its headquarters at JNIA Terminal 1, construction of 38 houses at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) as well as construction and maintenance of warehouses at JNIA, KIA and Songwe International Airport.

In his wide-ranging presentation on the draft Government’s National Development Plan for Financial Year 2023/24, Dr. Nchemba also told Parliament that the Government would procure ships, oil and natural gas exploration projects, as well as continue implementation of Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, Kigongo – Busisi Bridge Project, the Hoima – Tanga Pipeline Project, and construction of liquefied natural gas plant in Lindi.

Other projects, which will continue to be implemented, are Rumakali Hydropower, Mchuchuma Coal Mine, construction of fishing ports in Kilwa Masoko and a sugar factory in Mkulazi.