Negotiations for Harare-Beitbridge highway dualisation nearly complete

Negotiations to secure funding for the dualisation of Harare-Beitbridge highway are at an advanced stage, a review of the ZimAsset economic blueprint has shown,  while government is planning to open bids to dualise major highways under a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model.

The Harare-Beitbridge highway is part of the corridor to Chirindu on the border with Zambia, the busiest road linking the country to its major trading partner South Africa and is also a passage for traffic heading north.

“Negotiations are at an advanced stage with possible financiers on the dualisation and rehabilitation of the Harare-Beitbridge Road,” the progress report on the implementation of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset) reads.

Zimbabwe has nearly completed one of the country’s longest highways as negotiations for fresh funding to dualise the Harare-Beitbridge near completion.

The rehabilitation of the 823km Plumtree-Bulawayo-Harare-Mutare road is 95 percent complete, the report noted. The Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) provided a $206 million loan for the project.

Government is also negotiating with the DBSA for a $653 million loan to recapitalise the National Railways of Zimbabwe, according to the report while the rehabilitation of the rail network signals is now 60 percent complete.

Zimbabwe, which requires an estimated $14 billion to rehabilitate its aging infrastructure, especially roads, water facilities and electricity stations has been struggling to do so due to funding constraints and failure to attract investment.

The report also said the dualisation of the Harare International Airport Road, which was taken over by the transport ministry from  Augur Investments whose contract was terminated over alleged lack of capacity, is now 80 percent complete.

Zimbabwe requires at least $27 billion to finance its five-year economic blueprint adopted in 2013.- The Source

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