Tanzania: Resettlement Brings Renewed Hope for Congolese Refugee Family in Tanzania

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In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News

After 28 years in Tanzania’s Nyarugusu refugee camp, Ekyamba Alonda, 49, his wife Yohali and ten children, stand on the brink of resettlement to the United States of America, embodying a story of struggle, transformation, and the hope of a fresh start.

In 1996, deadly violence broke out in Ekyamba’s hometown in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), forcing his family and he to flee for their lives.

“We witnessed unspeakable horrors,” recalls Ekyamba Alonda the father of the family. “The moment I saw my uncle being shot right before our eyes is when I realized our only chance for survival was to leave,” he said.

Their journey to safety was fraught with peril, as they trekked through deep forests for two weeks until they reached safety at the shores of Lake Tanganyika. From there, they found passage into Tanzania, finding refuge in Nyarugusu refugee camp.

Settling in the camp, the Ekyambas found a semblance of normalcy amidst the uncertainty.

“The camp became our home. It is where we raised our ten children, where we found a community that shared our pain and our hopes,” said Yohali.

A new lease to life

After years of a rigorous submission process, the Ekyamba family finally received the news that they had been selected for resettlement in the United States of America in December 2023, bringing renewed hope for a better future. The resettlement process is comprehensive including identification, referral, interviews, and assessments, all aimed at preparing refugees like the Ekyamba family for a new life.

Congolese refugee families are boarding the bus from the Transit Center in Kasulu town to Kasulu airstrip as they begin their resettlement journey abroad.

© UNHCR/Sishuo Zhu Congolese refugee families depart from Kasulu airstrip to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as they begin their resettlement journey abroad.

© UNHCR/Sishuo Zhu Previous Next “When we received the news, it felt like we had just been given a new lease to life, a new beginning,” said Ekyamba. “With nonstop fighting in the DRC, returning home was impossible. And how can we when we have lost our land and livelihoods? The many years we have lived in the camp have also disconnected us from our roots; it would never have been the same,” he added.

“This opportunity to be resettled in the US gives me hope that my children can have a better education, and a chance for me to support my family as a breadwinner once again. For this opportunity, I am immensely grateful,” said Ekyamba.

Two of Ekyamba’s children together with his granddaughter have since departed.

“Dressed in their best, surrounded by friends and family, we watched as they boarded the bus. The camp erupted in cheers and tears – a farewell that etched itself in their hearts. This moment marked the end of their life in the camp and the beginning of their journey towards a new horizon,” remembered Ekyamba.

“Our hope is to build a secure future for our children.”Ekyamba Alonda, Congolese refugee

For UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, enhancing long term solutions to end cycles of displacement for people forced to flee is a key priority. Whether through supporting refugees to voluntarily and safely return back to their home countries, integrating them in the countries they have sought refuge or resettling refugees to a third country, UNHCR remains committed to ending the plight of forcibly displaced people in a sustainable manner. In 2023, UNHCR in Tanzania supported the resettlement of nearly 8,000 refugees mainly to Australia, Canada, France, and the United States.

For the Ekyambas, the journey ahead is filled with both excitement and apprehension.

“Our hope is to build a secure future for our children in the U.S and I hope they can benefit a bit from their talent for sport to build themselves a better future,” explains Ekyamba, “But adapting to a new culture and legal system will be challenging.” Nonetheless, the Ekyambas are determined to depart with courage and optimism.

Between 2012 and 2023, over 30,000 Congolese refugees have found new beginnings after being resettled from Tanzania. Yet a significant challenge looms. Currently, UNHCR has only received 15 percent of funds needed for the refugee response in Tanzania. Specifically on resettlement, 40 percent remains unfunded.

UNHCR continues to urgently appeal for stronger donor support for the refugee response in Tanzania, and help refugees build a future filled with dignity, opportunity, and hope.

Source: allafrica.com

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Tanzania’s Her Initiative Gets Sh27.7mn for Women’s Empowerment

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In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News
Tanzania’s Her Initiative Gets Sh27.7mn for Women’s Empowerment

Nairobi — The Her Initiative, a Tanzanian organization that bets on women’s economic empowerment, has received Tsh560 million (Ksh27,678,161) from the King Baudouin Foundation Africa Prize to eliminate persisting barriers that hinder women’s economic empowerment in the region.

In a statement, the foundation stated that the funds would be fundamental in expanding the initiative’s program in Tanzania and East Africa to reach and elevate 100,000 more women over the next five years, especially in the field of technology.

Her Initiative will also be given an opportunity to connect with the King through the King Baudouin Foundation’s international network of non-profit organizations and development professionals so as to achieve this goal.”

Notably, Her Initiative aims to remove persisting barriers by leveraging the power of technology to advance digital inclusion among young women and girls,” the statement read.

According to Her Initiative’s founder and executive director, Lydia Charles Moyo, the funding will further be fundamental in pushing the campaign to eliminate gender-based violence, underage marriage, and HIV, which have posed major threats to women in Tanzania and beyond.

“We already support young women to build their financial resilience in six Tanzanian regions, but with the KBF Africa Prize we will be able to scale our work to help so many more women to achieve their dreams in Tanzania and beyond,” she stated.

According to KBF Prize Selection Committee Chair Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, the partnership between the two parties will be fundamental in ensuring the advancement of women’s rights and financial independence in the region.

Source: allafrica.com

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In Tanzania, traders strike over harassment

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In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News

By BOB KARASHANI

Market traders in Tanzania launched a nationwide strike against tax hassles this week with pockets of resistance to government peace overtures still evident by Thursday.

This week’s strike began at Kariakoo and later spread to other urban markets across the country, indicating rising discontent over alleged harassment by government revenue collectors especially when inspecting compliance with requirements for electronic fiscal device (EFD) receipts and electronic tax stamps for transactions.

Their attention now appears to be focused on July 1, when the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) is expected to introduce a more efficient system involving proper receipts and invoices for traders to be assessed more accurately on what they owe in taxes.

After a meeting between the traders’ leaders and Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa in Dodoma, government spokesperson Thobias Makoba on Thursday announced interventions to end the go-slow.

These include Tanzania Ports Authority adding an inland container depot to clear cargo imported by market traders for domestic sale; and TRA to set up a mechanism for monitoring local sales of eight specific imports under a cap prices schedule.

But, while traders in Dodoma, Mbeya, Mwanza, Geita, Njombe, Mtwara, Songwe, Iringa, and Arusha also joined their Dar es Salaam counterparts in a strong show of unity, the strike overall remained a slow-burner, compared with Kenya’s tax riots.

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Read: Kariakoo market boycott a win for democracy in Dar

Revenue disruption

Concluding the National Assembly’s discussion of Tanzania’s 2024/2025 budget on Wednesday, Finance Minister Mwigulu Nchemba said some of the demands raised by the traders, if accommodated immediately, would disrupt the government’s expenditure plans for the coming fiscal year.

These include a proposed VAT reduction from 18 percent to 12 percent which, according to Dr Nchemba, would blow a Tsh600 billion ($228.57 million) hole in the Tsh49.35 trillion ($18.98 billion) budget.

Likewise, removing some service levies would hurt district and town councils, which depend on the levies to fulfil their social responsibilities, the minister added.

The budget, which includes a domestic revenues component of more than two-thirds (67.4 percent) totalling Tsh33.25 trillion ($12.79 billion), was approved by parliament late Wednesday. A supporting Finance Bill is still being discussed in the House.

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Tanzania: Seoul Inks Deal to Build Fishing Port in Zanzibar

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In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News

The Zanzibar ministry of blue economy and fisheries has signed an agreement of cooperation with the ministry of oceans and fisheries of the Republic of Korea for the feasibility study to construct a fishing port and development of fishery infrastructure in Zanzibar.

During the signing ceremony held at the Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA), the Zanzibar blue economy and fisheries minister Shaaban Ali Othman said it is a timely project that aim at boosting the country’s economy through fishing as well as increase the income of individual citizens.

“We are happy to begin the implementation of this big project by having a feasibility study. We hope a modern fishing port will attract international ships to Zanzibar,” Mr Othman said.

He added that the port is expected to create jobs for the young people in the isles. He said the survey will involve the areas of Mangapwani and Mkokotoni on the side of Unguja and Micheweni and Shumba Viamboni on the side of Pemba with the aim of finding one suitable place on each main Island for the project.

“We thank the government of the Republic of Korea for the good relations and funding the research,” said the minister.

He added that the construction of fishing ports will also support small-scale and medium fishermen to benefit from their work.

Also Read: Z’bar vows more reforms to woo investors

He informed the gathering that the number of fishermen has been growing along with increasing fishing activities, but many still cannot fish in the deep sea, “The government is talking to various stakeholders to train and provide facilities so that Zanzibar fishers can fish in the deep-sea areas,” he noted.

Mr Othman said that the feasibility study will be conducted for six months, after which the construction will begin in a short time after evaluation.

The Minister also revealed that plans are underway to construct two separate fish processing factories, one in Unguja and the other in Pemba.

Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry Captain Hamad Bakari said the construction of fishing ports in Zanzibar is needed as Zanzibar is an island country and is surrounded by the sea, “The fishing ports will open Zanzibar economically and attract fishing vessels and investors.”

“He explained that there are many large fishing vessels that would like to come to Zanzibar but the biggest challenge is that there is no large fishing port,” said the PS.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation from Korea, Hee Kyung Kim said they are in Zanzibar to conduct a feasibility study because of the good relations and commitment shown between the two sides.

“We promise to work hard and professionally to ensure the port is well constructed and completed on time,” he said.

Source: allafrica.com

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Tanzania: Govt Reverses Major Tax Decisions

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In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News

The Tanzanian government announced on Monday the retraction of several tax decisions, following an extraordinary meeting with representatives of business communities and pressure from Kariakoo traders.

Major market traders at the country’s largest international market closed down their stores for hours on Monday in what was reported to be an indefinite strike on the country’s proposed financial bill of 2024/25, among other issues.

They immediately called it off following the government’s decision to seek a consensus with their representatives; the decision, however, did not hold water as dozens of stores went on shut mode.

The strike was planned for Kariakoo market, before escalating to Mbeya, Iringa, Ruvuma, Rukwa, Mwanza and Arusha Regions.

Speaking to reporters in Dodoma on June 24, Minister of Planning and Investment Prof. Kitila Mkumbo said the government has suspended indefinitely the inspection of EFD receipts and VAT returns which was commissioned by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) at the Kariakoo Regional office in Dar es Salaam.

“TRA will now prepare a better system to confirm receipts, however, until then this inspection will be on hold,” he said without specifying the final dates for the new system to take off.

He went on to details that the government will further revisit its legislation on tax calculations to ensure it does not create grievances among traders. He was referring to the calculations conducted by authorities on imported goods through ports of entry.

Also Read: Govt, Kariakoo traders seek amicable solutions

Minister Mkumbo emphasized that the Financial Bill has not yet been approved for the second reading, urging the public to continue submitting their opinions.

“We are committed to creating a fair and transparent tax system that supports both the government’s revenue goals and the business community’s needs,” he said. “It is important that everyone doing business at Kariakoo pays tax.”

Minister of Finance Dr. Mwigulu Nchemba, Minister of Industry and Trade Dr. Ashatu Kijaji and Attorney General Judge Eliezer Feleshi attended the meeting in Dodoma.

On the other hand, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila assured traders that the government will protect all traders who will open their stores, warning individuals who had threatened to harm stores defying to strike.

Mr Chalamila said all complaints submitted by traders to the government will be addressed accordingly.

Source: allafrica.com

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Mobile money subscriptions rebound after scrapping of Airtel transfer code

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In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News

The number of subscribers on mobile money platforms has rebounded, a new report by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows, citing the removal of a code that forced customers on Airtel Money to withdraw cash within seven days of receipt or see the amounts reverted to senders.

The latest sector statistics report published by the regulator shows that subscribers onboarded into the mobile money ecosystem during the three months to March this year totalled 700,000, bringing the number to 38.7 million up from the 38 million recorded as of the close of December.

The surge bucks a trend of slumps that commenced in March last year when the number stood at 38.4 million, before dropping to 38 million by June, which was followed by a mild increase to 38.1 million as of September of the same year.

“During the reference period, mobile money subscriptions grew to 38.7 million translating to a penetration rate of 75 percent. Although there was growth in subscriptions, the penetration rate dropped due to a review of the denominator on population following the release of the 2024 Economic Survey,” reads CA’s latest report.

“The growth in mobile money subscribers is attributed to the removal of withdrawal codes for transactions sent from M-Pesa to Airtel Money, which means that funds can now be transferred directly into the Airtel Money account (wallet).”

According to the 2024 Economic Survey published by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the number of mobile money subscribers in the country dropped by 600,000 during the full year to last December.

The country’s second-largest telco eliminated the restrictive code in early February this year, allowing Airtel Money customers to receive money directly into their e-wallets from any network.

“This development effected on February 6, 2024, comes in response to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and industry players’ collaborative efforts to ensure seamless mobile money interoperability as outlined in the CBK National Payments Strategy 2022-2025,” said Airtel at the time.

With the changes, users registered on rival platforms can send as little as Sh1 up to the highs of Sh250,000 per transaction daily to Airtel Money accounts.

The National Payments Strategy by the CBK requires all mobile money providers to ensure a seamless customer journey across their different channels to allow on-network and off-network direct transactions.

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