Dar es Salaam. Pan-African economic think tank Accelerate Africa (AA), has been launched in Tanzania marking a major step forward for the country, as it anticipated to help create a more vibrant and innovative business environment, allowing entrepreneurs to take their businesses to the next level.
Tanzania becomes the third to launch the network which brings together economic actors playing a leading role in their countries/communities, from civil society, business and government, to create a new generation of economic leaders focusing on infrastructure, agribusiness, energy, and digital transformation towards industrialisation.
The launch was done held on Thursday, February 23, during stakeholders’ engagement meeting for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and startups institutions done here in the city and participated by over 100 participants from different sectors.
The network continental coordinator Gilbert Ewehmeh said. The model of the think tank will be to create a sustainable business focusing on industrialization for poverty alleviation and sustainable economies.
He said the network is focusing more on Africa as the challenges are the same and it is high time members took advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which most countries are not aware of.
“We have to start with SMEs as most of them are still in the comfort zone and are not aware of the many business opportunities,” he said.
The Accelerate Africa Country Coordinator Ms Pendo Lema, said the new move will assist SMEs and startups to grab available opportunities and get a clear understanding of current developments in the business world.
“We have the Accelerate Africa Summit coming up in June and all countries will be required to select representatives to the summit through a competitive process and only three will be picked to represent Tanzania,” she said.
The network also plans to start a program dubbed ‘Operation 100 entrepreneurs training’ which will among other things help the beneficiaries to access to funding and the aim is for each country to get financial supporters.
The countries that form Accelerate Africa include Botswana, Cameroon, Malawi, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
The network has already been officially launched in Cameroon and Rwanda and now Tanzania joins the list.
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Tanzania: Samia Hands Over NBC’s 354m/ – Crop Insurance Compensation to Farmers Affected By Hailstorms
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has handed over a cheque of 354m/- from the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) as compensation to tobacco farmers, who were affected by hailstorms during the previous farming season in various regions across the country.
Handing over the cheque in Dodoma, the compensation is part of the crop insurance service provided by NBC in collaboration with the National Insurance Corporation (NIC).
Furthermore, President Samia has also handed over health insurance coverage to members of the Lindi Mwambao Cooperative Union based in Lindi Region, through the Farmers’ Health Insurance service provided by the bank in partnership with Assurance Insurance Company.
While visiting the bank’s pavilion at the Nanenane Agricultural Exhibition and being received and briefed by the bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Theobald Sabi, she said: “This crop insurance is one of the crucial solutions in ensuring farmers have a reliable income, without fear of challenges such as natural disasters, including hailstorms.
“I call upon all farmers in the country to make the best use of this important opportunity by accessing these kinds of insurance services. I also highly commend NBC and all the stakeholders participating in this programme.”
Elaborating further on the crop insurance service, the Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, stated that it will help to recover the loss farmers incurred, especially in various calamities beyond their control.
Citing them as floods, fires, and hailstorms, which have significantly affected the well-being of farmers and caused some to be reluctant to invest in the crucial sector, Mr Bashe added: “However, our President, this step by NBC is just the beginning, as this is the second year since they started offering this service, and the results are already visible.
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“As the government, we promise to continue supporting the wider implementation of this service, with the goal of ensuring that this crop insurance service reaches more farmers.”
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On his part, Mr Sabi said that the farmers who benefited from the compensations are from 23 primary cooperative unions in the regions of Shinyanga, Geita, Tabora, Mbeya, Katavi, and Kigoma.
He added: “In addition to these insurance services, as a bank, through this exhibition, we have continued with our programme of providing financial education and various banking opportunities to farmers, alongside offering them various loans, including loans for agricultural equipment, particularly tractors, to eligible farmers.:
At the NBC booth, President Samia also had the opportunity to be briefed on the various services offered by the bank to the farmers namely crop insurance and health insurance services.
There, the President had the chance to speak with some of the beneficiaries of the services, including the Vice-Chairman of the Lindi Mwambao Primary Cooperative Union, Mr. Hassan Mnumbe, whose union has been provided with a health insurance card from the bank.
Source: allafrica.com
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