Emulate the Chinese, local business community told

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda admires a Chinese-made motorcycle at the ongoing Brands of China Africa exhibitions at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday. PHOTO|FILE 

By Victor Karega  (email the author)

Posted  Thursday, September 12  2013 at  21:36

In Summary

• Through the cooperation, local small and medium-scale entrepreneurs will be able to learn how the Chinese have managed to make tremendous achievements.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania business communities have been challenged to emulate their Chinese counterparts in order to enhance competitiveness that will in turn improve innovation.

According to Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA),communities should draw lessons from business principles undertaken by their Chinese counterparts to explore and venture into available business opportunities.TCCIA president Peter Chisawillo said Tanzanian business communities should explore good existing bilateral relations between Tanzania and China to establish meaningful business networks.

“Tanzanian firms and their Chinese counterparts should look at business opportunities which exist in the two countries and achieve higher economic growth,” Mr Chisawillo said on the sidelines of the Brand of China Africa exhibitions in Dar es Salaam.

“Through the cooperation, local small and medium-scale entrepreneurs will be able to learn how the Chinese have managed to make tremendous achievements,” he added. Mr Chisawillo urged Chinese entrepreneurs to help their Tanzania counterparts with technology and expertise in product processing in order to add value to the goods before exporting them to China.

For his part, the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Lu Youqing, said his country was keen to facilitate more trade and investments among business communities in the two countries. “The focus is now shifting from material exports to finished goods,” noted Mr Youqing, adding that there was a need for Tanzanians to add value to their products before exporting them. “We are willing to cooperate with the Tanzania so as to improve some sectors like infrastructure, mining, information and communication technology and agriculture,” he said