Planning is all about making choices. And when it comes to making choices to uplift the lot of Tanzanians, it doesn’t look like this is anyone’s business.
For everywhere you look, you see multi-billion dollars opportunities just lying around, with no one showing any care. Migration is one such opportunity. Just consider the remittance statistics.
In 2023, the transformative power of remittances was vividly illustrated by the top ten African countries. Nigeria led with a staggering $23 billion, followed by Egypt’s impressive $19.53 billion, underscoring the crucial role of diaspora contributions. Kenya, the beacon of East Africa, drew in $4.16 billion, reflecting its regional influence.
Meanwhile, Senegal and Zimbabwe, with $2.94 billion and $3.08 billion respectively, saw remittances forming nearly 10 percent of their GDPs. Yet, Tanzania, with a population size much higher than that of Senegal and Zimbabwe combined, has remittance inflow of $332 million, accounting for a mere 0.4 percent of its GDP.
Clearly, there’s a yawning gap between Tanzania and its peers in terms of remittance inflows. If Tanzania were to achieve remittance levels similar to Kenya and Nigeria, its inflow would need to increase by approximately seven times, from $332 million to around $2.47 billion and $2.86 billion respectively.
In sub-Saharan Africa, which depends on foreign investments for growth, remittances, which already outperform FDIs by a staggering two to one, hold great promise. These statistics highlight the immense untapped potential for Tanzania to transform itself by turning migration into a powerful force for growth.
So, why doesn’t Tanzania have the kinds of remittances that other African nations enjoy? Several factors are at play, but the policy environment is mostly to blame for that.
Tanzania has lacked conducive policies to encourage outward migration. For decades we have been stuck in the fallacious ‘migration is brain drain’ narrative, making Tanzania’s diaspora quite small compared to population size.
To be competitive, we need government-led initiatives to promote overseas studies and employment.
Kenya is now exporting 1000 youths abroad every week – that’s what I am talking about. We need a strong focus on skills training and language proficiency. A few years ago, the UAE asked Zanzibar to send 600 drivers, but the government could hardly find dozens due to language limitations.
We also need to diversify our labour export destinations. Tanzanians have mostly been gravitating towards the ‘old world’ – the UK, the US, and so on, while ignoring emerging economies. Nations such as Poland, Turkey, India, China and Indonesia present interesting opportunities and more should be done to make our people aware of them.
On the other hand, Tanzania has yet to capitalise on the potential of its diaspora. Despite representing a vast reservoir of talent, skills, and financial resources, the country has struggled to effectively engage its citizens living abroad.
A lack of strategy, limited communication channels, and insufficient incentives have hindered efforts to harness the diaspora’s contributions to national development. When talking to Tanzanians in Paris last year, the disconnect between the embassy and the people was quite clear. As a result, many opportunities go wanting.
We need to look at migration as an opportunity worth seizing. This is what China did by sending a million students to study abroad between 1978 and 2008 without necessarily expecting them to return. A quarter of them returned, but those that didn’t ultimately created a pool of emigres and descendants who still serve Chinese interests today, including through technology transfer and FDIs. In other words, this is a strategic investment that pays handsomely in the long term.
We need to actively encourage and support our people in seeking opportunities abroad. Developing a significant presence in the global workforce should be a national priority. India with 35 million migrants collects $120 billion annually in remittances.
You can clearly see how globally competitive a nation is by the number of its citizens abroad. The UK has five million citizens outside its borders – no wonder they continue to punch above their weight despite their many limitations as a country.
I once argued that every secondary school student who gets 7 points in O-level or 3 points in A-level should automatically be given a government scholarship to go study abroad.
No interview nonsense: you perform, you go. The only thing I would add is to provide them with a further training programme to inform them how to make the most of the opportunities abroad. It won’t take long before the investment made start to flow back as remittances, FDIs, skills, and other benefits. By 2050, we may as well be matching the current pacesetters by witnessing tens of billions of dollars flowing in.
Vision 2050 is about thinking outside the box to unlock untapped potential for Tanzanians. We can talk about farming, education, manufacturing, and public services, and indeed, all those are crucial for our development. That said, when we ignore multi-billion dollars opportunities annually, we are not fulfilling our duty. A double-digit economic growth is possible when we take economic development seriously.
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
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