Unguja Zanzibar.
Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi on Saturday, April 29, clarified that disagreement on taxes was the main issue that has led to the stalling of oil and gas exploration in Zanzibar by UAE Company RAK Gas.
Speaking to journalists at a monthly briefing at the State House, Zanzibar, Dr Mwinyi said the company approached government seeking a change in the fiscal terms among other issues.
“According to them there was need to change the terms because the offshore exploration was very expensive therefore they proposed 80:20 revenue sharing until they recoup their investments, something that we accepted,” said President Mwinyi, adding that ZPRA and ZPDC were instructed to find ways of how to settle the concern.
He added: After the discovery of gas which was estimated to be around 3.8 trillion cubic feet, according to the Agreement RAK gas was supposed to conduct a 3D seismic study and then drill the first well, something they did not do.
Mr Mwinyi said the company also requested the Zanzibar government to wave all the taxes something that we failed to agree with.
“We told them that what we could do was to defer the taxes but not a complete waiver of all the taxes that they are supposed to pay,” he said.
In November , 2018 RAK Gas, which supplies natural gas to the UAE’s northern emirates and Africa, signed a production sharing agreement (PSA) with Government of Zanzibar.
The deal was signed by the Zanzibar’s Minister for Land, Water, Environment and Settlements Salama Aboud Talib, director general of the Zanzibar Petroleum Development Corporation (ZPDC) Mwanamkaa Abdulrahman Mohamed and chief executive of RAK Gas LLC Kamal Mohamed Ataya at the State House in Zanzibar.
The project was Zanzibar’s “first-ever exploration project”, said RAK Gas co-chief executive Kamal Ataya, whose company signed the agreement to execute the scheme with the Zanzibar government as well as the Zanzibar Petroleum Development Company (ZPDC).
The company signed the rights to explore and develop the Pemba Zanzibar block, which spans 11,868 square kilometers. The value of the deal was not disclosed initially.
The targeted Zanzibar block had by then undergone several field activities including pre-drilling aerial exploration over and deployment of offshore infrastructure for drilling of test wells.
Former holders of exploration rights for the Zanzibar block — Antrim Energy of Canada then described project owners RAK Gas LLC as “the state natural gas utility of the Emirate of Ras al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates which has interests in two offshore blocks in Ras al Khaimah as well as holding interests in exploration blocks in East Africa and Egypt, including the East Pande block in Mainland Tanzania.”
“The Pemba-Zanzibar block has a proven hydrocarbon system, as evidenced by the Tundaua oil seep on Pemba Island and oil shows in previous exploration wells. Multiple source rocks and petroleum reservoirs are anticipated and numerous prospects have been mapped,” Antrim said then.
Upon the signing of the PSA five years ago, Ras Al Khaimah Company established a subsidiary called RAK Gas Zanzibar on the Isles to meet legal requirements.
Other supporting firms are the UK’s Bell Geospace Enterprises Company Ltd, which conducted the aerial survey beginning early last year, and Brunswick Zanzibar Ltd.
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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
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
ZSSF money not for projects, says Ali Karume
Unguja. Veteran politician and diplomat Ali Karume has called on authorities of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government (SMZ) to refrain from using the Zanzibar Social Security Fund money for establishing commercial projects.Continue Reading
