The Chinese government has expressed contentment with progress of the standard gauge railway project. The chairman of the standing committee of china's national people's congress (NPC) Zhang Dejiang has said that Kenya’s infrastructure expansion through the project would propel the country into a regional business hub. Zhang who toured the standard gauge railway (SGR) project in Mombasa said Kenya has made great strides in infrastructure development that will open up business opportunities for the region. Transport and infrastructure cabinet secretary Dr James Macharia said that the government has also secured a loan from the Chinese government to support the second phase of the project. Macharia said that the development of phase 2a and construction which will commence by the end of 2016 will cost $1.5 billion. Chinese government has financed the first phase of the standard gauge railway (SGR) from Mombasa to Nairobi at the tune of $3.8 billion.