Dar es Salaam. The government has come up with a revised trade policy that seeks to accommodate new developments such as regional trade agreements, technological advancement and climate change, among other local and global issues.
The National Trade Policy 2003 was revised last year and will be officially inaugurated by deputy Prime Minister, Dr Doto Biteko, tomorrow, according to the Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr Selemani Jafo.
“The National Trade Policy 2023 will enhance the country’s participation and integration in trade with neighbouring countries, regionally and internationally,” Dr Jafo told reporters.
The 2023 edition aims to establish a robust framework and strategy to improve the business environment, promote economic growth, and enhance citizens’ welfare, he said, adding that some evolving trade opportunities were covered in the revised policy.
In September 2021, Tanzania ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which was not highlighted in the 2003 policy.
The government said it is also completing domestic legal procedures before endorsing the Comesa-EAC-Sadc Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) agreement, which commenced on July 25, 2024, with 14 out of the 29 member states.
Dr Jafo said some evolving trends, such as growing e-commerce, innovation, copyright, and other digital developments, were not well covered in the previous edition, compelling the government to update the policy.
Dr Jafo further noted that the new policy will develop and improve market and trade infrastructure; ensure competition management in trade and protect consumers; as well as strengthen and develop the trade in services.
He said that it would also facilitate trade by reducing the time and cost of doing business; enable and enhance online trade through the use of technology; and improve and increase access to credit and trade capital.
“It will promote private sector participation in trade and ensure compliance with cross-cutting issues in trade activities,” he said.
The new policy is guided by the slogan “Trade competition driving industrial-led socio-economic transformations,” he said.
He said it would also enhance industrial production through secure market access, thereby stimulating efforts to build an industrial economy; ensuring free and fair competition in trade and protecting consumers; improving trade coordination and eliminating policy, legal, and institutional conflicts in trade matters; strengthening market and trade infrastructure;
The new policy comes even as the government counts on several achievements in the trade sector.
The success stories include the growth of trade with the EAC, SADC, AfCFTA and exploring markets such as China, which allowed 98 percent of Tanzanian products to be sold duty-free, India, AGOA and the European Union.
Dr Jafo said Tanzanian exports to the EAC increased from Sh1.12 trillion in 2016 to Sh3.022 trillion in 2023, while exports to the Southern African Development Community increased from Sh2.607 trillion in 2016 to Sh4.422 trillion in 2023.
He said the exports to the European Union also increased from Sh0.605 trillion in 2016 to Sh3.835 trillion in 2023.
For his part, the director of Trade Mark Africa, Mr Elibariki Shammy, said that the review of the policy has taken between three and four years, which shows a good intention to improve trade in the country.
He said the agency desires to see many African countries doing what has been done in Tanzania because trade policies have been the biggest obstacle to regional trade.
“We assist many African countries intending to reduce the cost and time of doing business within the African continent, but still countries cannot trade with each other because policies and procedures conflict, making the cost of doing business between countries very high,” Mr Shammy said.
He said the costs of doing business stem from domestic trade practices, so addressing how to solve existing challenges in the policy is a good thing.
Share this news
This Year's Most Read News Stories
Serikali: Sampuli zilizochukuliwa hazijathibisha virusi vya Marburg
Wakati Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) likisema watu wanane wamefariki dunia kutokana na ugonjwa unaoshukiwa kuwa wa virusi vya Marburg (MVD) mkoani Kagera, Wizara ya Afya ya Tanzania imesema sampuli zilizochukuliwa hazijathibitisha uwepo wa virusi hivyo.Continue Reading
Tanzanian insurance firms upbeat after first quarter business growth
Total gross written premiums for the insurance industry have increased by 13.68 percent in the first quarter of 2024, with small and medium-sized companies showing higher growthContinue Reading
Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
