FOREIGN and local investors have showered praise on President Samia Suluhu Hassan for economic diplomacy and improving the ease of doing business in the country.

Keynote speaker Janson Huang, the chairman of Sino Tan Industrial Park that is setting up a wide ranging industrial complex to manufacture medicines, along with mobile phones and car assembling, made these remarks at Kibaha, during the Coast Region investment week forum at the weekend.

He said the president’s policies had enabled the country to open up for Tanzanian businesses and foreign investors.

He said that Coast Region was now quite attractive for investors as the industrial park venture was showing. Investors are the zone “have been getting excellent cooperation from central government and regional authorities, he stated.

Sufiani Ally, the director of communications at the Bakhresa group of companies talked about being stuck for eight years, finding it difficult to set up a sugar factory at Bagamoyo, which has since been ironed out.

“Due to the collaboration we received from the central government and Coast Region authorities, we have started producing sugar after four years,” he said.

The country’s other sugar factories were built many years ago, while the new Bakhresa Group factory is the first in the past five decades.

A company representative from King Lion Motorcycle Ltd said the company is engaged in assembling motorcycles and manufacturing spare parts. It intends to start a plant for round bars, roofing sheets and other building materials.

The company has now obtained a 75-acre area plot for what is billed to be East Africa’s biggest plant for the iron and steel products, he stated.

Zachy Mbena, a representative of the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) said the sixth phase government has enabled a big increase in the flow of foreign investors.

Coast Region is a big brand in investment searches, he said, urging traders to mark their goods as coming from “Coast Region,” with RC Aboubakar Kunenge stressing cooperation at the ministerial and regional administration level to speed up service provision for investors.

Shaka Hamdu Shaka, the ruling party ideology and publicity secretary, said improvement in the business and investment environment was raising chances of employment and upping government revenues.

“The government has succeeded in eliminating bureaucracy, oppressive tax collection methods and reviewed various laws to facilitate smooth operations for businessmen,” he pointed out.

Investors can now complete procedures for registration of projects through a one stop centre.

Other achievements include ratifying the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) early this year, with local firms being able to access the 1.3bn people market in AU countries with a total gross domestic product of $3.4trn.

The president has shown determination to open economic gates with specialized parks for industrial, technology, processing and agricultural activities, he said.

“In a short period, the government has been able to attract investments worth $16bn, equivalent to 37trn/-. There is an increase of new industries, businesses and revenue collection,” he pointed out.

The newly constructed integrated industrial park in Kigamboni District in Dar es Salaam is slated to accommodate 100 factories, he said in illustration

The project, worth $3bn is being implemented by Egyptian corporate giant Elseweedy Electric, with listed factories at the park billed to employ up to 500 people each, he said.

Construction of Kwala industrial park in Kibaha District in Coast Region to accommodate 200 industries will also see thousands of youths getting jobs, with Kwala project total investments projected at $2.5bn, or more than 6.0trn/-.

The factories will manufacture and export most produce, taking advantage of the country’s geographical location and growing regional markets, he said, informing the participants that CCM wishes that the regional authorities set aside surveyed land plots to be used for investments.

The areas will have all the necessary services such as water, paved roads and electricity supply, he stated.

Mtwara Regional Commissioner Ahmed Abbas said the Kibaha exhibition has been a learning event. It has helped regional officials to map out how to do to propel investments especially along the coastline, he added.

National Microfinance Bank (NMB) Plc's Chief Executive Officer, Ruth Zaipuna (3rd L), and CCBRT CEO, Brenda Msangi (3rd R), take part in the Season II of the NMB Marathon at Leaders Club venue in Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam last weekend. The 2022 NMB Marathon, themed 'Mwendo wa Upendo', is a charity marathon aimed at raising funds to treat fistula patients at CCBRT Hospital. PHOTO: CORRESPONDENT

Mzumbe University researcher Dr Godbertha Kinyondo makes remarks at a stakeholders’ dissemination workshop held in Dar es Salaam at the weekend. A team of researchers met with a group of more than 70 micro-entrepreneurs from various wards to give them feedback following a five-year study on informal sector and social protection. Photo: Guardian Correspondent

In Tanzania still about 70 to 80 per cent labour is absorbed in this sector. Agricultural progress permits the shift of manpower from agricultural to non-agricultural sector.

Dr Mahesh Swaminathan (R), the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Country Director in Tanzania, has a word in Dodoma city recently with then Dodoma regional commissioner Anthony Mtaka (L) (since transferred to Njombe Region) shortly after discussing opportunities for collaboration in disease prevention. Photo: Guardian Correspondent

VICE President, Dr Philip Mpango.

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