DAR ES SALAAM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania has set aside 1.44 trillion Tanzanian shillings (about 622 million U.S. dollars) for the implementation of the 2,115-MW Julius Nyerere hydropower project in the Rufiji River basin, a senior official told parliament on Friday.

Medard Kalemani, the Minister for Energy, said implementation of the project in 2020/2021 being undertaken by Egyptian firms Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric Company will involve construction of the main dam and spillways, tunnels, a power house and a switch yard.

Tabling his ministry's budget estimates for the 2020/2021 financial year, Kalemani told the House in the capital Dodoma that construction of the 6.55-trillion-shilling project was on track and was expected to be completed in June 2022 as scheduled.

He said construction of the project by the two Egyptian companies began on June 15, 2019, adding that the government had paid the contractors 1.219 trillion shillings as of April 2020.

Kalemani said construction works in 2019/2020 involved the main dam and a diversion tunnel.

He said until now the project has employed 3,897 workers out of whom 3,422 were Tanzanians and 475 were foreigners.

"About 6,000 Tanzanians will be employed before the project ends in June 2022," said the minister.

The government of Tanzania signed the deal with the contractors on Dec. 12,2018.

The project has attracted intense scrutiny with conservationists both at home and abroad calling for a comprehensive strategic environmental assessment before it is implemented in the Selous Game Reserve. Enditem

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