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坦赞铁路——赞比亚出海通道

坦赞铁路——赞比亚出海通道

文|奇拉·纳梅科(Chila Namaiko)  《赞比亚时报》记者 翻译|王晓波



 导 读 

由于赞比亚是一个内陆国家,要想在经济上生存并得以发展,就必须保障货物进出口渠道的通畅和高效。因此,坦赞铁路成为了一条重要的国际贸易线路,在很大程度上,它是赞比亚的铜等大宗货物抵达邻国坦桑尼亚港口的唯一途径。

● 坦赞铁路构建经贸连接

铁路给赞比亚带来的益处

坦赞铁路带动了旅游业的发展

通关状况

面临的挑战

推动非洲与中国双边合作的历史性项目之一是20世纪60年代修建的至今仍值得纪念的坦赞铁路(TAZARA)。这条单轨铁路长约1860公里,从东非坦桑尼亚的港口城市达累斯萨拉姆至位于海拔1400米的中非国家赞比亚的卡皮里-姆波希区。该铁路是南部非洲区域铁路运输的一个组成部分,现在由坦赞铁路管理局负责经营。

坦赞铁路构建经贸连接

在促进国际贸易便利化方面,坦赞铁路现在仍然是连接坦桑尼亚东部达累斯萨拉姆港与赞比亚中部卡皮里-姆波希城镇的重要通道。而且,这条铁路线使整个非洲的经济都获得益处。因为目前这条铁路线不仅承担着赞比亚和坦桑尼亚的进出口业务,而且同时也为其他国家和地区提供货物运输服务,比如马拉维、刚果民主共和国、大湖区、南非和津巴布韦等。

据坦桑尼亚铁路局提供信息显示,在区域铁路网络连接方面,坦赞铁路是南部非洲发展共同体(SADC)国家和东部和南部非洲共同市场(COMESA)国家运输网络的重要组成部分。

就铁路对于贸易模式的影响而言,坦赞铁路在东部和南部非洲共同市场国家的贸易中仍然发挥着关键作用,因为共享同一条铁路线,所以在南部非洲的这些国家很容易实现互联互通。位于大湖区的中非内陆国家布隆迪和卢旺达也可以通过南非港口或者达累斯萨拉姆港享受到坦赞铁路提供的运输服务。

铁路给赞比亚带来的益处

坦赞铁路是赞比亚最高效的货物运输渠道之一。由于赞比亚是一个内陆国家,要想在经济上生存并得以发展,就必须保障货物进出口渠道的通畅和高效。因此,坦赞铁路成为了一条重要的国际贸易线路,在很大程度上,它是赞比亚的铜等大宗货物抵达邻国坦桑尼亚港口的唯一途径。

坦赞铁路是货物和运输服务的重要基础设施,它对于扩大国家对外贸易是极其必要的。

坦赞铁路的管理方最近称,达累斯萨拉姆港口的设施改善极大地提升了其抵达业务区域的货物运输能力。坦赞铁路总裁布鲁诺·清安都2018年在接受《赞比亚时报》的采访时说,根据上一年的记录,2017年的货运量较2016年增加了17万吨。清安都先生还说,同时客运量也由414746人增加到487856人,而列车的运输时间则从8.5天减少到6.4天。

坦赞铁路的运输需求量仍在加大,这主要是由于包括铜和锰在内的金属货物运输量增多,导致对散装运输的需求激增。清安都先生说,“管理层通过减少运输时间,加强对事故和风险的管控,提高了服务质量,从而提高了运往达累斯萨拉姆的货物量,而达累斯萨拉姆港口性能的改善也将增加该线路的货运量。”

坦赞铁路带动了旅游业的发展

坦桑尼亚《每日新闻》最近报道,坦赞铁路对促进该国旅游业发展有着巨大潜力。该报道称,在从达累斯萨拉姆到赞比亚卡皮里-姆波希的坦赞铁路上运送的数百万旅客中,有数以千计的游客。

与此同时,今年早些时候,坦赞铁路纪念园在赞比亚卢萨卡省举行开工仪式,纪念园意在纪念那些在修建这条铁路期间逝去的中国人。纪念公园建在卢萨卡的崇威区,占地两公顷。它将成为一个旅游景点,同时也是中国和赞比亚的年青一代了解那段历史的教科书。建成后,它将免费向所有人开放,并成为促进当地旅游业发展的一个新地标性建筑。

通关状况

据坦桑尼亚铁路局调查显示,目前赞比亚境内任何一地往返达累斯萨拉姆港口的单程运输都只需三、四天的时间。而且所有关于货物、货车位置以及其他相关信息都已实现电子化,通过使用预知货物信息系统,客户可以在几秒钟内了解到货物所在的准确位置。
坦赞铁路还为客户提供了运输全程服务,即铁路负责进出口货物的通关并将其转运至赞比亚、津巴布韦、马拉维和坦桑尼亚等国的最终目的地。

面临的挑战

2018年,清安都先生在接受《赞比亚时报》采访时也提到了坦赞铁路遇到的一些挑战,包括缺乏足够的资金、机车车辆不足、牵引车况差导致机车行驶速度缓慢等,它们对公司的业绩产生了影响。清安都先生说,“超逾期工作导致机车的动力和可用性降低,此外我们还面临着机车车辆不足,信号和电信设备陈旧等问题,它们已经成为制约业绩进一步发展的因素。”

不过,今年六月,中国政府已经表示要按照更高标准对坦赞铁路进行改造,确保两国人民能继续受益。

中国国务委员、外交部长王毅也要求赞比亚和坦桑尼亚政府组成专家组,调查并提供坦赞铁路的翻新方案,中国已经做好对其改造给予援助的准备。

王毅部长是在与赞比亚外交部长约瑟夫·马吉兰为落实中非合作北京2019论坛峰会内容而举行的双边会谈上发表上述讲话的。王毅部长指出,坦赞铁路仍然是中国、坦桑尼亚和赞比亚合作的重要典范,因此对其进行现代化改造非常有必要。王毅部长说,“坦赞铁路是我们的开国元勋们留给后人的杰作,因此中国一定会按照更高标准对这条铁路进行改造,确保它的运营顺畅,因为它是我们友好合作的重要象征。”考虑到这条铁路的重要性,王毅部长建议桑尼亚和赞比亚当局拿出可行性方案,对坦赞铁路进行彻底改造,使其能够为两国带来更多的经济效益。

当年坦赞铁路的建设符合赞比亚总统卡翁达和中国共产党创始人毛泽东主席的愿景,它为两国的友好关系奠定了基础。赞比亚一直是中国最好的朋友之一。时至今日,两国合作顺利,实现了共同发展。

马吉兰部长也认为,如果管理得当并全部投入运营,并且政府也能对铁路运输给予投资的话,坦赞铁路一定会为赞比亚的经济发展做出贡献。
赞比亚人民与坦桑尼亚人民一样,都渴望国家能够实现可持续发展。坦赞铁路恰好提供了这样的机会,因为它可以将非洲大陆多国连接起来并且充分利用他们的优势。

英文版

The TAZARA Railway: Zambia’s Access to Sea

By Chila Namaiko  Journalist TIMES OF ZAMBIA


One of the historic projects that has boosted the bilateral cooperation between Africa and China, is the memorable railway line built in the 1960s, the Tanzania and Zambia Railway (TAZARA).This single-track railway is approximately 1,860 kilometres long rising at sea level from the East African port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, to Zambia’s Kapiri Mposhi district at 1400 metres above sea level in the Central African country Zambia.The railway is an integral part of the southern Africa Regional Rail Transport, and is currently being operated by the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority.

TAZARA’s economic trade links
In terms of international trade facilitation, TAZARA is remains an important route currently linking the port of Dar-es-Salaam in East Tanzania with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia’s Central Province.
The railway line promises to be a gain to the entire African economy.
This is because, currently, the railway handles exports and imports of both Zambia and Tanzania, and other countries such as Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Great Lakes Region, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Researched information (www.tazara.co.tz) shows that on regional railway network connections, TAZARA constitutes an important part of transport network of Southern African Development Community (SADC) states and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) states.
In terms of trade patterns and its impact of the railway, TAZARA still plays a major role in trade facilitation within the COMESA states because it connects easily with COMESA in the South with whose railways it shares a common gauge.
It is further stated that landlocked central African nations of Burundi and Rwanda in the Great Lakes Region also stands to benefit from TAZARA services, whether their important are passing through South Africa port or Dar es Salaam.

Benefits to Zambia
TAZARA is one of the effective means of transportation of goods for Zambia.Since Zambia is a landlocked, this means to survive economically, the nation has to import some commodities and at the same time exporting commodities like copper and other agricultural products.Therefore, TAZARA provides an important international trade route which has to a large extent provided the only route for bulk trade from Zambia’s Copperbelt to reach the sea in the neighbouring Tanzania.
A railway line such as the TAZARA is a key infrastructure for transportation of goods and services and it is much needed to increase the country’s opportunities for external trade.
TAZARA management said recently that improved business at the Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania had helped to boost the transportation of cargo in its area of operations.
According to the TIMES OF ZAMBIA (2018), TAZARA managing director Bruno Ching’andu said the freight traffic in the year 2016 to 2017 increased to 170,000 recorded in the previous year.
Mr Ching’andu said the passenger traffic increased from 414,746 to 487,856 in the 2016 to 2017 year while the transit time reduced from 8.5 to 6.4 days.
The high demand of transportation through the TAZARA was largest attributed to the shipping of metals among others Copper and Manganese that had gone up requiring added bulk carriage.
“More cargo to Dar es Salaam has been stimulated by improved services by management in such area as reduced transit time, accidents and security risks. Improved performance of the Dar es Salaam port will increase cargo on the line,” said Mr Ching’andu.

TAZARA promotes tourism
The Tanzania Daily News recently reported that TAZARA offers a huge potential in promoting tourism in industry in the country.It reported that thousands of tourists were among the millions of passengers ferried by the railway from Dar-es-Salaam to Kapirimposhi in Zambia.
Meanwhile, in the same tourism sector, early this year, Zambia and China held a groundbreaking ceremony to commence the construction of a memorial park that will commemorate the Chinese who died during the construction of this railway.The memorial park being constructed in Chongwe district in Lusaka on a two-hectare land, will be a tourist attraction centre in that it will be a history book for the younger generation of China and Zambia and once completed, it be a free park open to all people and will become a new landmark building to promote tourism.

Customs Clearance situation
In terms of customer satisfaction, researched information (www.tazara.tz) also shows that currently, it takes about three to four days to haul traffic to and from the port of Dar es Salaam for customers at any point in Zambia and vice versa.It states that all information regarding consignment, the wagon position and others, is computerized, and customer can be advised of the position of their cargo within seconds by use of the Advance Cargo Information System.
It states that TAZARA offers a special customers a special transportation package whereby importers’ and exporters’ cargo is customs clearance by the railway’s freight clearing and forwarding Unit from transportation up to the point of destination such as in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi or Tanzania.

Challenges
According to Mr Ching’andu, (TIMES OF ZAMBIA (2018), he attributed some of the challenges to lack of sufficient recapitalization, inadequate rolling stock, poor truck condition leading to low locomotive speed was affecting the performance of the company.“Huge deferred maintenance leading to low motive power and wagon availability, inadequate rolling stock obsolete signaling and telecommunication equipment are some of the factors affecting our performance in the sector,” said Mr Ching’andu.
However, in June this year, the Chinese government said it is committed to ensure TAZARA is revamped to higher standards to ensure the benefits trickle-down to the local people between the two countries.
China’s Foreign Affairs Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi also asked authorities in Zambia and Tanzania to come up with team of experts that will look into the resuscitation of TAZARA since China is ready to offer aid to revamp the railway line.
Mr .Wang was speaking during a bilateral meeting with Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji on the side-lines of the Beijing 2019 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.Mr Wang said TAZARA remains an important symbol of cooperation involving China, Tanzania and Zambia and as such, it was important to modernize the railway line.“TAZARA is an inspiration from our founding fathers and China is committee to help revamp this railway to higher standards that will ensure smooth operation because it is an important symbol of cooperation,” said Mr Wang.
Owing to the importance of the railway line, Mr Wang called on Tanzania and Zambia authorities to come up with feasibility roadmap that would see a full resuscitation of TAZARA if the two countries were to realise more economic benefits of the whole railway line.
This was because TAZARA set the tone of cordial bilateral ties in line with vision of Dr Kaunda, and the founding member of the Chinese Communist Party, Chairman Mao Zedong.
Zambia remains one of China’s best friends. As of today, the cooperation was implemented smoothly with a shared alleyway of development.
If well harnessed and operate at full scale, Mr.Malanji said TAZARA has potential to increase economic growth of Zambia especially that Government was investing in railway transportation.
The people of Zambia, just like their counterparts in Tanzania are eager to ensure the two countries attain more sustainable development and the TAZARA provides beneficial opportunities to create more benefits taking advantages of the countries location in the continent.

编辑 | 张  梅

翻译 | 王晓波

设计 | 李玉丹