The Zambian government on Thursday dismissed reports that the revitalization of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) would result in job losses.
LUSAKA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Thursday dismissed reports that the revitalization of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) would result in job losses.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics said that no employee would be laid off under the revitalization plan, noting that between 200 and 300 workers would transition to the employment of the new concessionaire, while the majority would remain under TAZARA's payroll.
"The labor movement within TAZARA is fully aware and has been engaged throughout the concession process to ensure that no worker is left behind," the statement read, adding that increased operations under the concessionaire are expected to boost labor demand, with a growing need for personnel projected over the first three years of implementation.
The government described the revitalization as a strategic upgrade, calling it a bold step toward modernizing one of the region's most critical transport corridors. It said the project is poised to create thousands of jobs across operations, logistics, and maintenance.
Urging the public to disregard misinformation, the government called for support for what it termed a historic opportunity to reshape Zambia's transport sector and reinforce its role as a regional trade and logistics hub.
On the sidelines of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last September, China, Tanzania, and Zambia signed a memorandum of understanding to revitalize the TAZARA railway, marking a key milestone toward realizing the railway's full potential.
According to the ministry, TAZARA currently handles 500,000 metric tons of freight annually. Under the new concession, this volume is projected to rise to 2.4 million metric tons within four years.
Built between 1970 and 1975, the TAZARA railway spans 1,860 km from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, with commercial operations beginning in July 1976.■
