Dar es Salaam. The Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) has introduced a collective investment scheme as a strategic mechanism to finance the development of industrial sheds and warehouses, essential for supporting industrial activities.
EPZA Director General, Charles Itembe, announced the initiative on December 3, 2024, stating that the scheme aligns with recommendations from capital market stakeholders.
“The collective investment scheme targets the industrial Real Estate Trust Fund to finance the construction of industrial sheds and warehouses for leasing to investors,” Mr Itembe explained.
He said there was a strong demand for industrial infrastructure and that the initiative would facilitate infrastructure development in the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone, where projects like roads and water supply are already underway.
“With essential infrastructure in progress in Bagamoyo, we are simultaneously working to attract investors to the area,” he said, adding that the scheme could help secure funds before the completion of the zone.
Mr Itembe noted that with the Benjamin William Mkapa Special Economic Zone in Dar es Salaam fully occupied, accelerating infrastructure development in Bagamoyo and other regions is critical.
The initiative presents a profitable investment opportunity for local and international investors, promising returns comparable to government and corporate bonds.
It aims to attract retail investors, institutional investors, pension funds and other corporate investors. EPZA plans to release an information memorandum, approved by the Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA), to market the service.
The Benjamin William Mkapa Special Economic Zone has already demonstrated success, hosting investors in garment production, bank card manufacturing, and agricultural processing.
The zone generates $70 million in annual sales, supports 5,000 jobs, and has attracted $400 million in capital investments.
Moreover over 220 export-oriented factories across Tanzania have invested $5 billion in capital, generating $3.5 billion in export sales.
The Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone, spanning 980 hectares, will be developed into an industrial city through collaborative efforts between the government and the private sector.
Share this news
This Year's Most Read News Stories
Zanzibar Investor British Dad talks about being jailed on paradise island
British investor and hotelier Simon Wood, from Preston, Lancashire, and his wife Francesca Scalfari were locked up in a Zanzibar prison charged with money laundering. Both were released after pressure from British Embassy.Continue Reading
Tanzania Declares End of Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak
Tanzania today declared the end of Marburg virus disease outbreak after recording no new cases over 42 days since the death of the last confirmed case on 28 January 2025.
The outbreak, in which two confirmed and eight probable cases were recorded (all deceased), was the second the country has experienced. Both this outbreak, which was declared on 20 January 2025, and the one in 2023 occurred in the north-eastern Kagera region.
In response to the latest outbreak, Tanzania’s health authorities set up coordination and response systems, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, at the national and regional levels and reinforced control measures to swiftly detect cases, enhance clinical care, infection prevention as well as strengthen collaboration with communities to raise awareness and help curb further spread of the virus.
Growing expertise in public health emergency response in the African region has been crucial in mounting effective outbreak control measures. Drawing on experience from the response to the 2023 Marburg virus disease outbreak, WHO worked closely with Tanzanian health authorities to rapidly scale up key measures such as disease surveillance and trained more than 1000 frontline health workers in contact tracing, clinical care and public health risk communication. The Organization also delivered over five tonnes of essential medical supplies and equipment.
“The dedication of frontline health workers and the efforts of the national authorities and our partners have paid off,” said Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, WHO Representative in Tanzania. “While the outbreak has been declared over, we remain vigilant to respond swiftly if any cases are detected and are supporting ongoing efforts to provide psychosocial care to families affected by the outbreak.”
Building on the momentum during the acute phase of the outbreak response, measures have been put in place to reinforce the capacity of local health facilities to respond to potential future outbreaks. WHO and partners are procuring additional laboratory supplies and other equipment for disease detection and surveillance and other critical services.
Marburg virus disease is highly virulent and causes haemorrhagic fever. It belongs to the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly. Patients present with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. They may develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.
In the African region, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.
Source: allafrica.com
Insecurity prompts Zanzibar to review its lucrative island leasing
The Tanzanian central government is planning to boost its security presence in the Zanzibar archipelago. A commission tasked with auditing the country’s security forces was appointed in July by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. It says it is concerned about the situation in the country’s Indian Ocean islands that are under the control of the semi-autonomous Zanzibar local government.Continue Reading
