EXISTING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE
OVERVIEW
Economic development is influenced by among other factors, adequate supporting infrastructure of which Mtwara has a lot of potential. However, the region's economic infrastructure is underdeveloped. The region's communication links with its neighbours and the outside are rudimentary and seasonal. Domestic links from one corner to another are uncertain and sometimes perilous. The region's roads can claim accessibility into or out of the region for a limited period of five to six months in a year.
Mtwara , nevertheless, endowed with a natural deep harbour embraced with a remarkably productive hinterland. But the port cannot be accessed on account of poor road links. Hence the port remains with under utilized capacity.
Despite the combination of such setbacks, the region has an average contribution of 3.27% to the National GDP (4.1%) which is ahead of some well served mainland regions.
ROADS: Highways and Truck roads
The region has 2 existing road outlets with and addition projection to link with Mozambique.
The Northern road links
From Mtwara to Dar es salaam across the Rufiji and Kibiti ferry. The road links connects Mtwara with Lindi, Kilwa and Kibiti in the coast onwards to Dar es salaam covering a distance of 345mls (552 Kms) - Mtwara/ Lindi 65 mls . Lindi /Kilwa 100mls. Kilwa /Ferry80 mls, Ferry/Dar es salaam 100mls
Southern road link
From Mtwara to Songea (Ruvuma Region) onward to the Tanzania Zambia Highway road link at Makambaku (Iringa region). Approximate road distance to Makambako is 462mls (739 Km).
Mtwara/ Masasi 125 mls (200 Km)
Masasi/Tunduma 120 mls (192 Km)
Tunduru/Songea 172 mls (272 Km)
Songea/Njombe (Iringa region) 150 mls (240Km)
Njombe/ Makambako 45mls (72 Km)
South Eastern Road link:
A future road link projected to link Mozambique from Masasi across the Ruvuma with Unity Bridge at Masuguru. Prospects for such development now appear more real that there is an agenda on COMESA regional block and the Mtwara Development Corridor which groups Tanzania with Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi.
Mtwara/ Masasi 125 mls (200Km)
Masai/ Masuguru 80mls (128 Km)
The road connection into and out of the region are subject to the vagaries of whether so that they are only passable during the dry season. And even then, entail a lot of costs in terms of ware and tare, fuel and time.
Internal Districts
Mtwara region with its 5 districts - Mtwara urban, Masasi, Newala and tandahimba are served with internal road links, which are at the mercy of the vagaries of weather. The situation is aggravated by the limited budgetary provisions, which do not permit proper maintenance of roads.
Likewise, the condition of rural roads is poor consequently transportation and movement of farm inputs and crop produce is hampered considerably. In view such limitations there is an adaptation of the bicycle as a means of movement so that the mode of rural transportation is getting more characterised with the use of bicycles.
The use of oxcarts is not familiar except in few isolated cases under the impetus of missionary initiative. This is actually due the absence of sizeable cattle heard in the region, which excludes prospects for such innovations.
Road Classification
Mtwara region with an area of 16,720 Km2 has a total of 5,596 Kms, which are shared among truck and regional roads. Which are the responsibility of the Regional Authority, and the District, and feeder roads which are under the district authorities. This is a density ration of 0.445 Km/km2 of land.
RAILWAYS:
Mtwara region has no existing railway link. In pre-independence time this facility linked Mtwara and Masasi through Mingomyo and Nachingwea both in Lindi region. The line was unceremoniously uprooted immediately on the wake of independence.
POWER: Electricity
Mtwara region is served by TANESCO thermos power, which is installed to supply electricity on commercial basis. Electric power services are supplied to Mtwara, Masasi and Newala towns. Mtwara town is serviced by 1.13 MW power plant while Masasi is serviced by a total of 5.0MW power plant. This service line is extended to sevice Newala and Nachingwea (Lindi region).
The percentage coverage of the urban population, which is supplied with power, is shown in the following.
District Total Population %
Mtwara Urban
Mtwara Rural
Masasi
Newala 66.452
6,613
26,411
25,648 15,451
39
2,042
638 23.3
0.6
7.7
2.5
Total 125,124 18,170 14.5
OTHER SOURCES OF POWER
Fuelled:
Firewood is the traditional source of power in the rural areas whereas charcoal use is dominant in urban areas. Therefore firewood and charcoal as sources of power are indispensable in 98% of the region's households. This is used in the preparation of food, heating water, lighting and so on. Indeed, with only 2.2% of the region's household population having opportunity of gaining access to electricity, fuel wood is surely the predominant energy source for domestic purposes. His phenomena associates intensive and extensive use of firewood and charcoal which is again depleting the region's forests.
Fossils Fuel
These are important for domestic lighting. Therefore kerosene is almost the only source in urban areas, and even in rural areas. Kerosene stove are however, also in use in urban areas in conjunction to charcoal
Natural gas
The Msimbati Bay is potential for natural gas where large deposits have been discovered. Exploitation programmes are yet to be concluded and this could yield the region and neighbours with an abundant alternative source of domestic energy.
Marine Services
Mtwara region has a strategically placed port of Mtwara which can serve as an outlet for cargo to and from the southern regions of Ruvuma and Lindi as well as for the countries of Zambia and Malawi. Poor communication links with the hinterland denies the area the opportunity to utilise the port hence the potential of the port have reained underdeveloped. Built in the 1950's it was primary meant to service the British Overseas Food Corporation an ambitious British oil seed production scheme. The huge venture was discontinued leaving the harbour of Mtwara with unutilised excess capacity.
The habour can accommodate two big ships at its deep water berth as well as other three additional ships within its premises. The port has covered storage capacity of 15,00 tons and an open yard capacity convenient for container storage. The port can handle 400,000 tons of cargo per year and has provision for extension of 750,000 tons if containerization is required. The current capacity utilization is 90,000 tons per year. The Mtwara port connects with Dar es Salaam port by some irregular freight boat services, which do not offer any viable alternative to the poor road link between south and north.
Media and telecommunication
Radio Tanzania Serices are widely tuned in the region. However