Tanzania’s new latexglove factory to save Sh20 billion

Tanzania’s new latex glove factory to save Sh20 billion

Njombe, Tanzania: 

The government will save about Sh20 billion that it spends on importing surgical and examination gloves each year when a Njombe-based factory starts production five months from now. 

Construction of the latex glove plant, which is located in the Idofi area of Njombe, has reached 70 percent of its completion, and the project developer is optimistic that it will be completed and ready for production by June this year.

The factory is owned by the Medicine Store Department (MSD).

The Chief Pharmacist, Mr Saudi Msasi said during a visit to the factory by MSD board members and officials from Njombe Regional Commissioner’s office here yesterday, that the remaining tasks include fixing some machinery as well as getting accreditation and quality standards.

The factory, being built at a total investment of Sh16.7 billion, will have the capacity to produce at least 20,000 gloves per hour, which is equivalent to 10,000 pairs.

This, according to Ms Msasi, is equal to 83.4 percent of the estimated demand for gloves in the whole country.

“This factory is basically completed. The remaining issues are very minor and involve the issue of standards. We currently import 100% of our glove needs, so once completed, it will greatly help to reduce the money spent on importation,” he explained.

During its first year of operations, the glove factory is expected to collect Sh14.5 billion in revenue and the invested amount will be recouped after a period of not more than eight years.

The ctual construction of the factory started in 2020.

Speaking during the event, Njombe Regional Commissioner, Mr Anthony Mtaka urged MSD to complete the factory within the specified time, saying the factory would make it easier for people access medical supplies like gloves.

The MSD board chairperson Ms Rosemary Silaa said the factory will provide 200 direct and indirect jobs for Njombe residents.

She said the delay in executing the project was mainly due to the fact that the developer had to start with securing the necessary accreditation and standards requirements for putting up such a facility.

Njombe District Commissioner, Ms Kissa Kasongwa said residents in the area were eager to see the factory become operational sooner than later.

Original Media Source

Share this news

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp

This Year’s Most Read News Stories

‘No Marburg Confirmed In Tanzania’, But Mpox Remains ‘Public Health Emergency’
Tanzania Foreign Investment News
Chief Editor

‘No Marburg Confirmed In Tanzania’, But Mpox Remains ‘Public Health Emergency’

‘No Marburg Confirmed In Tanzania’, But Mpox Remains ‘Public Health Emergency’

Monrovia — The Director General of the African Centers for Disease Control, Jean Kaseya, has said the center stands ready to support Tanzania and other countries in the region where suspected cases of the infectious Marburg Virus Disease have been identified. The World Health Organization earlier this week issued an alert warning of a possible outbreak in the country, although the Tanzanian Health Ministry has said tests conducted on available samples did not show the existence of Marburg in the East African nation.

“As of the 15 of January 2025, laboratory results from all suspected individuals were negative for Marburg Virus,” Tanzanian Health Minister Jenista Mhagama said in a statement. This would have marked the country’s second experience with the highly infectious disease that recently killed over a dozen people in neighboring Rwanda. Tanzania previously reported an outbreak of Marburg in 2023 in the  Kegara region, said to have been the epicenter of the new suspected cases.

At the Africa CDC online briefing on Thursday, Kaseya also said another infectious disease, Mpox, “remains a public health concern”. He said that while in December 2024, the disease had afflicted 20 countries, a new country – Sierra Leone – has been added to the number after recent outbreak there. Sierra Leonean health authorities said on January 10 that two cases of Mpox had been confirmed in the country and dozens of contacts are being traced.

With thousands of confirmed cases of Mpox across Africa and more than 1000 people having died of the disease  – mainly in Central Africa – Kaseya emphasized the need to increase testing, a theme he’s heralded before. The Africa CDC boss said over the next few months the continental health watchdog will deploy additional epidemiologists and community health workers to areas considered hot spots of infectious diseases in the region.

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

Britam half-year net profit hits Sh2bn on higher investment income
Tanzania Foreign Investment News
Chief Editor

Britam half-year net profit hits Sh2bn on higher investment income

Insurer and financial services provider Britam posted a 22.5 percent jump in net earnings for the half-year ended June 2024, to Sh2 billion, buoyed by increased investment income.

The rise in half-year net profit from Sh1.64 billion posted in a similar period last year came on the back of net investment income rising 2.5 times to Sh13.27 billion from Sh5.3 billion.

“We are confident in the growth and performance trend that Britam has achieved, supported by its subsidiaries in Kenya and the region. Our business is expanding its revenue base while effectively managing costs,” Britam Chief Executive Officer Tom Gitogo said.

“Our customer-centric approach is fueling growth in our customer base and product uptake, particularly through micro-insurance, partnerships, and digital channels.”

The investment income growth was fueled by interest and dividend income rising 34 percent to Sh9.1 billion, which the insurer attributed to growth in revenue and the gains from the realignment of the group’s investment portfolio.

Britam also booked a Sh3.79 billion gain on financial assets at a fair value, compared with a Sh1.8 billion loss posted in a similar period last year.

The increased investment income helped offset the 12.7 percent decline in net insurance service result to Sh2.13 billion in the wake of claims paid out rising at a faster pace than that of premiums received.

Britam said insurance revenue, which is money from written premiums, increased to Sh17.8 billion from Sh16.6 billion, primarily driven by growth in the Kenya insurance business and regional general insurance businesses, which contributed 30 percent of the revenue.

The group has a presence in seven countries in Africa namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Mozambique, and Malawi.

Britam’s insurance service expense hit Sh13.6 billion from Sh11.3 billion, while net insurance finance expenses rose 2.6 times to Sh12.3 billion during the same period.

“Net insurance finance expenses increased mainly due to growth in interest cost for the deposit administration business driven by better investment performance. This has also been impacted by a decline in the yield curve, which has led to an increase in the insurance contract liabilities. The increase has been offset by a matching increase in fair value gain on assets,” said Britam.

Britam’s growth in profit is in line with that of other Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed insurers, which have seen a rise in profits.

Jubilee Holdings net profit in the six months increased by 22.7 percent to Sh2.5 billion on increased income from insurance, helping the insurer maintain Sh2 per share interim dividend.

CIC Insurance Group posted a 0.64 percent rise in net profit to Sh709.99 million in the same period as net earnings of Liberty Kenya nearly tripled to Sh632 million from Sh213 million, while Sanlam Kenya emerged from a loss to post a Sh282.2 million net profit.

Continue Reading