The government of Tanzania has on Tuesday April 13 said it has completed payments for the purchase of three new planes.

This was said by the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa while addressing t Parliament on the estimates and expenditure of the Office of the Prime Minister and its institutions for the financial year 2021/2022.

Majaliwa said the aeroplanes are expected to arrive in the 2021/22 financial year therefore bringing the number of government owned fleet to 12.

Prime Minister Majaliwa also commended national carrier Air Tanzania for launching foreign trips to Guangzhou China, saying the trips are a catalyst for boosting trade, tourism and employment.

The statement comes a few days after a report by the Auditor General and Controller of Public Accounts in Tanzania, Charles Kichere, outlined the challenges facing the airline.

According to the CAG said ATCL has incurred a cumulative loss of about Sh150 billion over the past five years. According to the CAG, for the past one year, ATCL has incurred a loss of Sh60 billion.

The planes are expected to be leased to Air Tanzania just like the other previous nine planes.