New ship plans at Lake Victoria finalised

From Daily News, Dar es Salaam
By FLORENCE MUGARULA

LAKE Victoria travellers have every reason to smile as the government is building a new ship and conduct major and minor rehabilitation to existing vessels in the lake. It is obvious that water transport is vital in the economic growth of any nation.

Transportation and the mobility it confers are linked to a level of output, employment and income

MV Victoria (2011)

within a national economy. In many developed countries, transportation accounts between 6 and 12 per cent of the GDP.

Business studies show that transportation accounts on aver age between 10 and 15 per cent of household expenditures, while it accounts around 4 per cent of the costs of each unit of output in manufacturing.

However, this figure varies greatly according to sub sectors. For some times now, vessels that ply Bukoba-Mwanza route have been grounded for services. However, the government through Marine Service Company Limited (MSCL) confirmed to the ‘Business Standard’ that everything is in place to set a new and bright dawn for Lake Victoria travellers.

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