DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's presidential candidate for the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), John Magufuli, on Monday pledged to turn the country's northwestern lakeside Mwanza city into a trading hub for the Great Lakes Region if he is re-elected to the top office.
"If I am re-elected to serve the country for the next and final five years, I will make sure that Mwanza city becomes a trading hub for the Great Lakes Region," Magufuli told a campaign rally at the CCM Kirumba Stadium in Mwanza city, located on the shores of Lake Victoria.
Magufuli said during the past five years, his administration focused on improvement of transportation infrastructure and provision of social services, including water supply, health, education and electricity supply in the Mwanza city.
"During the past five years my administration also expanded the Mwanza airport to enable large aircraft from across the world to land in the airport," he told his supporters.
Magufuli said plans to turn Mwanza city into a trading hub for the Great Lakes Region included improvement of marine transport in Lake Victoria, the world's second largest freshwater lake, by buying new ships and renovating old ones.
Magufuli is running for the presidential race that has also attracted 14 candidates from opposition political parties toward the general elections to be held on Oct. 28.
According to the National Electoral Commission, about 29.2 million voters have registered to elect the president, members of parliament and councilors. Tanzania has a population of about 57 million. Enditem
