Tanzania Foreign Investment News (Page 13)

THE Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) announced on Tuesday that it will commence trading cashew nuts and pigeon peas this season, following a successful four-year trial period.

Mr. Prince Philemon, TMX’s Finance and Management Officer, told the ‘Daily News’ here on Tuesday that after conducting successful trials, the exchange will include these two crops starting from August.

“Following the introduction of sesame last month in Mtwara, cashew nuts and pigeon peas will now also be featured on the exchange,” Mr. Philemon stated.

During the sesame auction from last month to midthis month, a total of 27,550 tonnes were traded, amounting to a transaction value of 80bn/- .

The auctions, conducted across Mtwara, Masasi, and Nanyumbu under the Mtwara, Masasi, and Nanyumbu Agricultural Cooperative Union (MAMCU), showed increasing prices in each of the six sessions.

Sesame prices ranged from a high of 3,570/- per kilogramme to a low of 3,350/- per kilogramme, with the fifth auction averaging around 3,550/- per kilogramme.

“The TMX platform allows farmers to directly observe the entire bidding process, ensuring transparency and providing realtime market data,” Mr. Philemon added.

Initially, farmers were hesitant to use the platform due to concerns about potential fraud.

However, as they began selling their produce through TMX, they found it to be a reliable and transparent mechanism for pricing and selling their crops.

Encouraged by the success of sesame auctions, sesame farmers in Mtwara have urged the government to consider expanding the commodity exchange market to include other cash crops, aiming to maximize returns.

“At first, I was skeptical about TMX, thinking it might cheat us farmers. But we’ve realized it’s the best platform for us to benefit,” said Ally Omary, a sesame grower in Nanyumbu, Mtwara

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

Catherine Haddon, raia wa United Kingdom (UK), ni mtaalamu wa uendeshaji wa Serikali. Catherine aliwahi kusema: “Some reshuffles are planned well in advance and some are sudden but, they all have the potential to go off-course.”

Tafsiri yake ni kuwa; “baadhi ya mabadiliko ya baraza la mawaziri hupangiliwa vizuri mapema na mengine hutokea ghafla, lakini yote kwa namna moja au nyingine hufanana kwa Serikali kutoka nje ya mstari.” Yaani, mabadiliko yoyote ya baraza la mawaziri yana athari hasi kwa Serikali.

Nimeanza na nukuu ya Catherine, kuelekea kujenga tafakuri kufuatia Rais Samia Suluhu Hassan, kufanya mabadiliko mengine ya Baraza la Mawaziri. January Makamba, aliingia Baraza la Mawaziri la Rais Samia Septemba 2021, Agosti 2023, akawa Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Afrika Mashariki. Hivi sasa January siyo waziri. Ametenguliwa.

Nape Nnauye, aliingia Baraza la Mawaziri la Rais Samia Januari 2022, akiwa Waziri wa Habari, Mawasiliano na Teknolojia ya Habari. Baada ya huduma yake ya miaka miwili na miezi sita iliyotimia, ametenguliwa. Nape siyo waziri tena. Hiyo ni kwa mujibu wa taarifa ya Ikulu ya Julai 21, 2024.

Sura namba moja ya kuondoka kwa January na Nape kwenye Baraza la Mawaziri ni kuwa sasa, Rais Samia amejipangusa dhidi ya waliotengwa na mtangulizi wake, Dk John Magufuli. January na Nape, waliondolewa na Magufuli kwenye Baraza la Mawaziri katika nyakati za tamthiliya tata kisiasa.

Nape, alikuwa Waziri wa Habari, Utamaduni, Sanaa na Michezo kuanzia Desemba 2015, aliondolewa na Magufuli Machi 23, 2017, baada ya kutofautiana mtazamo juu ya hatua zilizostahili dhidi ya aliyekuwa Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Dar es Salaam, Paul Makonda.

Makonda, alituhumiwa kuvamia ofisi za Clouds Media Group (CMG), akiwa na askari wenye mitutu ya bunduki, kisha kulazimisha kurushwa hewani kwa maudhui yaliyokataliwa na uongozi wa Televisheni ya Clouds. Magufuli alitaka Makonda aachwe, Nape alisimama kidete kuhakikisha hatua zinachukuliwa. Akafukuzwa.

Nyakati za tamthiliya tata kisiasa, uliibuka mchezo wa kudukua mawasiliano ya watu, hasa wanasiasa. Sauti za Nape, January, Makamu Mwenyekiti CCM, Tanzania Bara, Abdulrahman Kinana, Katibu Mkuu CCM mwaka 2006 mpaka 2011, Yusuf Makamba, Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje mwaka 2007 mpaka 2015, Bernard Membe, kwa nyakati tofauti walidukuliwa wakimteta Dk Magufuli.

Julai 21, 2019, Dk Magufuli alimweka pembeni January. Baadaye, Nape alionekana Ikulu, Dar es Salaam, ikaelezwa alikwenda kumwomba radhi Dk Magufuli.

Kisha, Dk Magufuli akatoka hadharani na kusema hata January alimwomba msamaha, akatangaza kuwasamehe wote. Pamoja na hivyo, baada ya Uchaguzi Mkuu 2020, Magufuli hakuwarudisha January na Nape kwenye Baraza la Mawaziri.

Hiyo ikaleta tafsiri kuwa January na Nape, walitengwa na Magufuli. Kitendo cha Rais Samia kuwarejesha Nape na January kwenye Baraza la Mawaziri, kilileta tafsiri ya watengwa wa Magufuli kukumbukwa na Mama (Rais Samia). Upo wakati ilielezwa kuwa “watengwa” ndio wenye zamu kwenye urais wa Mama. Mawaziri kadhaa kipindi cha Magufuli, waliwekwa kando. Sasa, watengwa wa Magufuli, wamekuwa watengwa wa Samia.

Kunani Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje?

Kila tafsiri inaweza kuwepo, swali moja litaendelea kutatiza wengi, ni kilichotokea ndani ya Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Afrika Mashariki. Mapema, Julai 21, 2024, Ofisi ya Spika wa Bunge, ilieleza kupokea barua kutoka kwa aliyekuwa Naibu Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje, Mbarouk Nassor Mbarouk, kuomba kujiuzulu ubunge, kutokana na matatizo ya kijamii.

Katiba ya Tanzania, ibara ya 55 (4), inatoa sharti kwa Rais kuteua mawaziri na naibu mawaziri miongoni mwa wabunge tu. Kwa mantiki hiyo, kitendo cha Mbarouk kujiuzulu ubunge kilijenga tafsiri ya kujing’oa unaibu waziri.

Siku hiyo hiyo, usiku wake taarifa ya Ikulu ikatoka, ilieleza kumwengua January pamoja na Naibu Waziri mwingine wa Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje, Stephen Byabato. Kwa maana hiyo, bosi wa wizara na wasaidizi wake wawili, wote wameng’oka.

Mbarouk alisema, aliamua kujiuzulu kwa sababu ana matatizo ya kijamii. Taarifa ya Ikulu ikasema, Mbarouk atapangiwa kituo cha kazi. Mbarouk ni balozi. Maneno atapangiwa kituo cha kazi, yanaeleweka kuwa anarejeshwa kwenye uwanja wa diplomasia. Mbarouk alisema ana matatizo ya kijamii.

Je, akipangiwa kituo hayo matatizo ndiyo yataisha

Dhahiri, kuna jambo halipo sawa Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje. Rais Samia, ana wajibu wa kuueleza umma nini ambacho kimesababisha awaondoe mabosi watatu kwa mpigo, ingawa mmoja amesema atampangia kituo.

Rais Samia, alipoapa kuwa Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, Machi 19, 2021, alimteua Balozi Liberata Mulamula kuwa Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje. Mulamula aliapishwa Machi 31, 2021, lakini akaondolewa Oktoba 3, 2022. Akafuata Stergomena Tax, ambaye Agosti 31, 2023, alimpisha January, kisha yeye akahamia Wizara ya Ulinzi.

Kihistoria, Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje haina utamaduni wa mawaziri wake kubadilishwa mara kwa mara. Rais wa Tatu, Benjamin Mkapa, alidumu na Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje mmoja kwa miaka 10, ambaye ni Dk Jakaya Kikwete. Kisha, Rais wa Nne, Kikwete, aliteua mawaziri wawili ndani ya miaka 10.

Januari 4, 2006, Kikwete alimwapisha Dk Asha-Rose Migiro, kuwa Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa.

Januari 11, 2007, Migiro aliteuliwa kuwa Naibu Katibu Mkuu wa Umoja wa Mataifa. Uteuzi huo wa Migiro UN, ulisababisha nafasi ya uwaziri ibaki wazi. Kikwete alimteua Bernard Membe, ambaye alidumu kipindi chote kilichokuwa kimesalia katika urais wake.

Rais wa Tano, Dk Magufuli, alidumu na mawaziri wawili wa Mambo ya Nje, kwa miaka yake mitano na siku 132, ambayo alihudumia nchi, kabla ya mauti kumkuta. Rais Samia, ndani ya miaka mitatu na miezi minne, ameshafikisha mawaziri wanne, Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje. Je, kunani? Sasa waziri ni Balozi Mahmoud Thabit Kombo.

Nape ni hadithi mbaya

Hivi karibuni, Nape akiwa ziarani mkoani Kagera, alinukuliwa akitoa matamshi tata. Nape aliwaambia wakazi wa Bukoba Mjini kuwa yeye ni mzoefu wa uchaguzi, na kwamba angemsaidia mbunge wao Byabato kushinda uchaguzi.

Akasisitiza kuwa yeye kama Waziri wa Habari, Mawasiliano na Teknolojia ya Habari, anasimamia kampuni za simu, hivyo angezishawishi zitoe fedha kusaidia maendeleo jimboni kwa Byabato.

Watu wengi wameelekeza lawama zao kwenye kauli ya Nape kuwa angemsaidia Byabato kutangazwa mshindi hata nje ya sanduku la kura. Hata hivyo, kwangu kauli mbaya zaidi ni ile aliyosema kuwa angeshawishi kampuni za simu zipeleke maendeleo jimboni kwa Byabato, kitu ambacho hakina tafsiri tofauti ya rushwa.

Kiongozi wa Serikali anayepaswa kuwa msingi wa maadili kwenye eneo lake, hakupaswa kutoa kauli zenye ukakasi.

Waziri kutamba kuwa angeshawishi kampuni binafsi kuchangia maendeleo ili kumsaidia Byabato, inajenga wasiwasi kuwa pengine ndiyo ulikuwa mchezo wake.

Tena kwa masilahi binafsi. Waziri badala ya kusimamia sheria na sera, kuhakikisha kampuni zinatoa huduma bora, yeye anawaza kuzishawishi zimchangie pesa.

Hii ni hadithi mbaya ya Nape.

Maswali ni mengi

Kutoka Nape hadi January, sasa Waziri wa Habari, Mawasiliano na Teknolojia ya Habari ni Jerry Silaa, aliyekuwa Waziri wa Ardhi, Nyumba na Maendeleo ya Makazi.

Deogratius Ndejembi, ndiye anakuwa Waziri wa Ardhi, akitokea Wizara ya Nchi, Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu, Kazi, Vijana, Ajira na Wenye Ulemavu. Ndejembi amempisha Ridhiwani Kikwete.

Pitia mabadiliko yote, jambo moja hatuwezi kubishana ni kuwa Baraza la Mawaziri chini ya Rais Samia, limekuwa na mabadiliko ya mara kwa mara bila kuwa na maelezo ni kwa nini yanatokea.

Ndani ya miaka mitatu ya Rais Samia, ukimwondoa Waziri Mkuu, Kassim Majaliwa, mawaziri waliobaki wote walishafanyiwa mabadiliko.

Yupo mtu anaweza kulileta jina la Waziri wa Fedha, Mwigulu Nchemba, kuwa hajabadilishwa. Awali, wizara ilikuwa ikiitwa Fedha na Mipango, kisha ikagawanywa mara mbili. Mwigulu amebaki kuwa Waziri wa Fedha. Mipango ikaanzishiwa wizara mpya ya Uwekezaji na Mipango, ambayo waziri wake ni Profesa Kitila Mkumbo.

Mabadiliko ya mara kwa mara yanaleta maswali, je, mawaziri hawawezi kazi au hulka zao hazimfurahishi Rais Samia, kwa hiyo anawabadilisha kila baada ya miezi?

Je, ndani ya Serikali kuna usaliti mkubwa, ndiyo sababu hataki kutulia na wasaidizi wake kwa muda mrefu?

Katika historia, Tanzania chini ya Rais Samia imeweka rekodi ya kubadili wakurugenzi wakuu wanne wa Idara ya Usalama wa Taifa, ndani ya miaka mitatu.

Januari 2023, alimwondoa ofisini aliyekuwa Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Idara ya Usalama wa Taifa, Diwani Athuman. Aliyempokea Diwani ni Said Massor.

Miezi saba ilitosha kwa Massor kufika tamati Tiss. Agosti 28, 2023, Balozi Ally Siwa, aliapishwa kuwa DGIS. Kisha, ilipofika Julai 11, 2024, Rais Samia alimwapisha Suleiman Abubakar Mombo kuwa Mkurugenzi Mkuu mpya wa Idara ya Usalama wa Taifa.

Kwa nini Serikali ya Rais Samia haitulii? Wapo watu wanadai shida kubwa ni Uchaguzi Mkuu 2025.

January ametajwa mara nyingi kuwa na mipango ya kuwania urais mwaka 2025. January mwenyewe alishajitokeza na kueleza kumuunga mkono Rais Samia. Je, ni mapambano dhidi ya adui asiyekuwepo?

Mabadiliko yafanyike. Iwe kwa nia njema ya kuhudumia nchi au hofu na visasi vya kutoaminiana, muhimu ibaki kichwani kwamba Serikali inapaswa kuonekana imetulia, ikitekeleza wajibu wake kwa wananchi.

Panga pangua ya mawaziri hadi wakurugenzi Tiss, ni kiashiria cha Serikali kutotulia. Zaidi, ni kama alivyosema Haddon, hakuna mabadiliko ya Baraza la Mawaziri ambayo hayaipeleki Serikali nje ya mstari.

Kuondolewa kwa mawaziri wawili, January Makamba, aliyekuwa Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Afrika Mashariki na Nape Nnauye, aliyekuwa Waziri wa Habari, Mawasiliano na Teknolojia ya Habari, kumeibua mjadala, hasa mitandaoni.

Wananchi wamekuwa na maoni tofauti kuhusu kuondolewa kwa mawaziri hao, huku wengi wakihusisha kuondolewa kwa Makamba na mbio za urais, huku wengine wakieleza kwamba Nape amejimaliza mwenyewe kwa kauli yake aliyoitoa hivi karibuni.

Akizungumzia uamuzi wa kuondolewa kwa Nape, Mhadhiri wa Sayansi ya Siasa wa Chuo Kikuu Huria cha Tanzania (OUT), Dk Revocatus Kabobe alisema pengine kauli yake ya Julai 15 ndiyo iliyomponza.

“Yalikuwa makosa makubwa kwa kiongozi mwandamizi kama Nape kutoa kauli kama hizo zenye kukichafua chama (CCM) na Serikali juu ya uchaguzi.

“Kauli yake inaweza kuwa imechukuliwa kama uthibitisho kwa wapinzani ambao mara zote wamekuwa wakilalamika kuibiwa kura,” ameeleza.

Dk Kabobe amehusisha kuondolewa kwa Nape na madai yaliyowahi kutolewa na mbunge wa Mtera, Livingstone Lusinde akimtuhumu kwa hujuma za uchaguzi ndani ya CCM wakati wanapiga kura za kuwachagua wabunge wa Afrika Mashariki.Continue Reading

A total of 33,998 candidates have been shortlisted for various vacancies announced by the Tanzania Police Force.

Of the shortlisted candidates, 31,930 are from Tanzania Mainland and 2,068 from Zanzibar.

According to information published on the Police Force website and shared on the Force’s official social media platforms on Monday, the interviews will be conducted over 14 days, from July 29 to August 11, 2024.

The list, seen by the Daily News Digital, shows that Dodoma Region is leading with 3,051 applicants who have completed Form Four and Form Six, followed by Arusha (2,957), Mwanza (1,948), Temeke (1,577), and Kilimanjaro (1,426).

Areas with the fewest candidates are Rufiji (134), Tarime (127), and Songwe (374).

ALSO READ: TIOB addresses youth unemployment

In the Mainland, the list shows that 2,238 out of 31,930 candidates hold degrees, diplomas, and certificates, while 29,692 are Form Four and Form Six leavers.

In Zanzibar, 739 out of 2,068 candidates hold degrees, diplomas, and certificates, while 1,329 are Form Four and Form Six leavers.

The statement added that interviews for degree, diploma, and certificate holders will be conducted at the Police Academy (DPA) in Dar es Salaam, while those who hold Form Six and Form Four certificates will remain in their respective regions.

In Zanzibar, candidates from Unguja will be interviewed at the Police Headquarters in Zanzibar, while those who applied from Pemba will be interviewed at the South Pemba Regional Police Commander’s offices.

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

By REUTERS

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has fired two senior members of government including the foreign minister in a mini-cabinet reshuffle, her office said.

The changes came as Hassan seeks to regain trust from foreign powers over a programme of economic and political reforms, including easing restrictions on opposition parties and media, that some critics had seen as faltering.

The presidency announced late on Sunday, July 21, that Hassan terminated the appointments of the minister of foreign affairs and East Africa cooperation, January Makamba, and the minister of information, communication and information technology, Nape Nnauye.

They are influential figures in the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

No reason was given for their removal. Makamba and Nnauye did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Read: Samia replaces TRA chief amid diplomats, traders tax complaints

Advertisement

The dismissal of Nnauye comes a week after comments he made surfaced in a video, saying elections results would depend on who counts votes and announces the results.

Nnauye later apologised, saying it was a joke, but activists and some social media users said the statement undermined Hassan’s push to improve democracy.

Also read: Will sacked minister Nnauye join rebellion in CCM?

Hassan appointed Mahmoud Thabit Kombo as new foreign affairs minister and Jerry Silaa as minister of information, communication and information technology.

Before Kombo’s appointment, he was Tanzania’s ambassador to Italy while Silaa was the minister of lands, housing and human settlements development. Two more ministers and deputy ministers were also appointed, the presidency said.

In power since 2021, Hassan’s government has won praise for rolling back her predecessor’s crackdowns on the opposition and civil rights groups. But arrests last year of a lawyer and an opposition politician have raised questions over her government’s human rights record.

Continue Reading

The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train operations between Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Dodoma will begin on Thursday next week as earlier planned, the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) has announced.

The development came after the corporation officially launched the SGR operations from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro mid-June this year.

According to TRC Head of Communication Department Ms Jamila Mbarouk, the commencement of the SGR train services will bring changes to train schedules.

ALSO READ: Electric train poses little threat to air travel

She said the Express Train will depart from Dar es Salaam at 6:00am and leave Dodoma at 5:30am. The ordinary train from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma will depart the Capital City at 17:30 pm and leave Dar es Salaam at 18:55pm.

Ms Mbarouk detailed that the ordinary train from Dar es Salaam heading to Morogoro will leave at 9:30am and 16:00pm and depart Morogoro at 9:50am and 16:20pm.

SGR train tickets are available at ticket offices within SGR station buildings or through the online ticketing system available at https://sgrticket.trc.co.tz/.

During the official launch of Dar es Salaam – Morogoro route, passengers enjoyed a free ride after President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan decided to provide free tickets to more than 1400 passengers.

Deputy Minister for Transport, David Kihenzile was among the first passengers in the first ever electric train in the country.

Mr Kihenzile said the Head of State ordered TRC to offer free service to all passengers who will use the service in the launching day.

The train started its journey from Dar es Salaam at 6:10 am and arrived at Morogoro main station at 7:56am covering 300kilometrers using only 1:45 hours.

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

Kenya is implementing measures to cut rice imports with the development of sustainable certified seed production system.

The country’s research body-Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) is pioneering the efforts in partnership with a Korean agency, which will ensure Kenya, which ships in up to 75 percent of the total rice requirement annually, cuts reliance on imports.

In a five-year collaboration with the Korea Partnership for Innovative Agriculture (KOPIA), the project will focus on the production of early-generation seed, the multiplication of elite varieties, and distribution to farmers.

The project will produce 5.8 tonnes of early-generation seed and 1,000 tonnes of certified Generation 1 seeds of high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties. Additionally, it will train 75 local technical experts, 10 experts in South Korea, and 210 farmers in quality rice seed production.

Speaking at the project launch in Mwea, KALRO Director General Eliud Kireger said Kenya’s domestic rice sector has failed to meet rising demand, a situation exacerbated by middle-class population growth and urbanisation.

“Rice consumption is increasing, especially among young people. With urban population expected to reach 50 percent by 2050, the demand for rice will significantly outpace supply,” said Kireger Dr Kireger.

Dr Kireger highlighted that the current per capita rice consumption is 28 kg per year, projected to rise to 30 kg by 2027, resulting in a demand of 1.8 million tonnes.

Presently, Kenya consumes about 950,000 to one million tonnes annually but produces only 200,000 tonnes, creating an 80 percent deficit.

To address this, the government aims to achieve a 25 percent annual growth rate in rice production under its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

The DG expressed optimism that within four to five years, the project could reduce the deficit by up to 60 percent by improving access to high-yielding certified seeds.

KOPIA will contribute to rice research by introducing and commercialising Tongil rice varieties from the Korea Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperative Initiative (KAFACI), including ISRIZ 6, ISRIZ 7, and UKAFACI 39.

The project will also address mechanisation challenges faced by farmers, particularly in drying processes.

KOPIA Kenya Director Ji Gang Kim emphasised the importance of increasing rice self-sufficiency through new varieties, certified seed dissemination, and improved cultivation technology. He also highlighted the need for better drying and post-harvest management to ensure high-quality rice.

John Macharia, a rice farmer from Bura, Tana River, praised KALRO for addressing seed access challenges. “Since introducing the Komboka variety, we’ve improved our yields and eliminated brokers dictating prices,” he said.

KALRO and KOPIA have collaborated for over 15 years on projects including maize, indigenous chicken, potato, and sericulture. Currently, they are promoting chicken feeds containing black soldier fly larvae and rice by-products in Kenya.

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

Zanzibar — The Administration of Shandong Province of China has shown interest in investing in various development areas in the isles.

The delegation led by the Vice-Chairman of Shandong Province Mr Zhang Xinwen expressed the interest when they met President Hussein Mwinyi at the State House.

President Mwinyi invited the investors to invest in various areas including the blue economy sector.

“We still have many areas including opportunities in fishing, tourism, sea transport and agriculture and the government guarantees security and good environment of investing and doing business with improved infrastructures,” Dr Mwinyi said.

He explained that the people of Zanzibar are proud of the existing strong Zanzibar-China historical relation that has enabled medical personnel from China including Shandong province to serve in Zanzibar for many years.

“We thank China government and medical personnels for the ongoing support in improving healthcare in the Islands of Zanzibar, providing services in various hospitals,” said Dr Mwinyi as Mr Zhang utilised the opportunity to invite the Zanzibar President to visit the province.

ALSO READ: Mwinyi optimistic of US Congressional visit

President Mwinyi accepted the invitation to visit Shandong Province.

The Province Vice-Chairman thanked Zanzibar government and its people for the good reception, which further cements the relations.

“We will find areas to invest in blue economy and agriculture,” Mr Zhang said.

Meanwhile the Switzerland Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Didier Chassot met Dr Mwinyi and discussed various issues including strengthening relationship between Switzerland and Zanzibar, according to a statement from the State House.

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

In a significant milestone of rural transformation, the Rural Energy Agency (REA) has successfully electrified 98 per cent of all villages across the country.

Such great stride in the energy sector is in line with the ruling party CCM’s 2020-2025 Election Manifesto, which directs the government to supply electricity to all streets and villages by 2025.

With one year ahead to the deadline, the sixth phase government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan is on track to beat the envisioned goal of connecting all villages with electricity infrastructure, which is critical in elevating citizens’ living standard.

The REA Director of Rural Electrification, Engineer Jones Olotu told the ‘Daily News’ in an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam recently that as of July this year the power agency connected with electricity a total of 12,031 villages, equivalent to 98 per cent of all villages.

He said currently, only 287 villages are not connected with power, noting they will be connected to power in September this year.

He said that a total 8,247 villages had already been connected with electricity, equivalent to 66 per cent by 2020.

And, REA has been implementing a five years grand plan of electrifying the remaining 4,071 villages that would see all 12,318 villages countrywide linked with power by next year.

REA ambitious plan is aligned with the ruling party CCM’s Election Manifesto 2020-2025 and the Third National Five-Year Development Plan covering 2021/2022 to 2025/2026 (Third FYDP) that aims at guiding the country’s efforts towards the attainment of the Tanzania Development Vision 2025, all together intend on among others to achieve a middle-income, competitive and semi-industrialised economy with shared growth and high-quality human development.

“We are ahead of the manifesto as by September this year, which is before its time limit (2025), we are going to realise electrification of all villages,” Mr Olotu said.

He said availability of electricity in rural areas has been boosting citizens’ income by enabling them open new economic activities such as shops and kiosks, groceries, restaurants and hair cutting and beauty salons.

ALSO READ: PURA set to announce new oil, gas exploration opportunities

Furthermore, it improved domestic activities like lighting, charging phones and listening to radio, he said adding it also made life easier and more pleasurable by allowing businesses and kiosks to function even during the night hours.

On the other hand electricity supported children’s education by allowing them to study at night, he said and noted it enabled villagers to receive health services closer to their homes and at a lower cost.

The next step ahead, he said REA’s focus is to ensure electricity reaches all hamlets and households referring to the fact that presently, only 32, 827 hamlets equated at 51 per cent have power, while 31,532 others are yet to be connected.

He said the rural energy body has another five years electrification plan spanning from the current 2024/2025 Financial Year aiming at lighting 20,000 hamlets at a cost of about 6tri/-.

Mr Olotu detailed that REA projected to connect 4,000 hamlets per year. The country has a total of 64,359 hamlets.

“Up to now, we are undertaking procurements for implementation of the first batch within the current financial year. Few days to come, we will announce tenders for contractors to be located to specific hamlets,” he said.

Toward national wide households’ electrification, according to the Third FYDP, the country targets at ensuring 60 per cent of all households are connected with power by the end of 2025/2026 FY from 40 per cent lighted in 2021/2022.

He lauded the government for implementation of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant (JNHPP) project that after its completion is expected to add 2,115 megawatts (MW) into the national grid, critical in stabilising electricity supply in the country and beyond.

In February 2024, the project injected 235MW into the national grid after a switching on of its ninth turbine that strengthened electricity availability both in urban and rural areas.

A villager, Mr Peter Nzema (30) based in Bukumbi village, Shinyanga Region commended the government for connecting their rural community with electricity.

He said their village was connected in 2023 ending over five decades of living in dark without electricity.

He said prior to being connected with electricity their village’s economic activities were paralysed with no any factory in comparison to now whereby a maize mill has been established by a local investor.

More significantly, he said the Bukumbi village experiences some sort of urbanisation, as a result of residents who take initiative to open up saloons and shops.

“It is just a beginning of transformation of the village that for so long time we used to dream one day to have electricity,” Mr Nzema said.

However, he noted that there is a slow pace in connecting the hamlets existing in their villages.

“It’s okay that the electricity has reached our village but the number of households connected remains less than 10, the power has not been distributed to our residential area as we hoped,” he said, adding “We are ready to pay.”

Mr Nzema told Daily news if REA starts to connect households in their village, it will enable small farmers including himself who choose to undertake irrigation especially in vegetable and fruit crops including tomatoes and water melon to scale up production.

“Small scale farmers who adopt irrigation are eager to see their households and hamlets are connected with electricity to get rid of using diesel powered generators, which make them incur high cost of production,” he said.

Reacting on the on-going rural electrification, Economist cum Investment Banker, Dr Hildebrand Shayo anticipated that the transformative move will directly affect, positively though, the commercial sector through the use of specific electrical appliances encompassing refrigerators.

Furthermore, he said presence of electric lights will facilitate residents to extend working hours, subsequently propelling the country’s development.

“Electrification in rural areas may result in to increases in daytime working hours and noticeable increases in evening and night time working hour,” Dr Shayo said.

Dr Shayo said in his ongoing research on Economic Impact of Rural Electrification in Tanzania, he found that the number of shops per 1,000 people in electrified villages is 4.28, compared to 3.43 in nonelectrified villages, a roughly 25 per cent difference.

Regarding institutional development, he said that electrified villages in several case study areas have much greater levels of institutional development.

“I can assert that it dramatically improves the general standard of living in rural areas, lowers rural-urban migration, increases industrial and agricultural production, and produces more jobs” Dr Shayo remarked.

Ms Betty Mbuzi, a resident at Mwatulole Street in Geita Region said she was optimistic that electrification all villages in their region will catalyse mining activities involving artisanal miners in their region which is endowed with minerals.

She noted that lack of electricity in some villages while others are connected with it culminate into energy divide.

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading