Set priorities to guide development agenda, African countries told

By The guardian reporter

General Electric (GE)

African governments have been urged to provide direction and set up priorities to guide their national development agenda.

Speaking to this paper in an emailed interview an official of the US based General Electric (GE) Victoria Kaigai, said once that has been done governments can then collaborate with various organisations to improve their economies.

“They can better plan, fund and implement their development plans and ensure sustainable deployment through localisation and creation of local opportunities for their workforce,” she said.

Kaigai hailed various initiatives which have been launched by the Tanzanian government in improving its economy.

She said the ‘Big Results Now’ initiative launched by President Jakaya Kikwete in February this year which identified six priority areas is a clear way that the country would move forward the economy.

Identified areas are energy, natural gas, agriculture, water, education, transport and natural gas.

“Across all these priority areas we see GE playing an important role to support in the planning, implementation and do long term sustenance of these initiatives in leveraging our strong infrastructure technology expertise, wide implementation experience, commitment to localisation and local capacity building and global reach to access conducive funding,” she said.

She said across Africa the company has made similar commitments having signed long-term pacts with a number of governments including Kenya, Angola, Ghana and Nigeria.

Asked what the company has been doing to promote energy, transport and infrastructure challenges in the country, she said they do not see them as braves but as opportunities necessary for Tanzania and the African continent to achieve its growth prospects.

She said the company aims to provide an enabling platform for the public sector to meet its key enabling infrastructure goals with constructive participation from the private sector.

“Across all the above sectors, we do this by participating in the development of bankable projects, leveraging our global reach to facilitate the project’s financing, advising on appropriate technology and promoting sustainable localisation and local capacity building initiatives,” she said.

The company has been an infrastructure technology partner in Tanzania since the 80s with business involvement across power, healthcare, rail and oil and gas sectors.

It has worked with Tanzania Zambia Rail Authority (Tazara) and Tanzania Rail Limited (TRL) to modernise and service their locomotives including provision of parts and technical support.

GE has been a key player In Tanzania’s power sector working together with the Tanzania Electricity Power company (Tanesco) and a number of power producers including SONGAS, Symbion Power, Kioo Limited and Tanzania Tobacco Corporation to boost electricity generation in the country.

In healthcare she said the company continues to provide medical equipment solutions to Tanzanian healthcare providers.

In the oil and gas sector, the firm has partnered with the University of Dar es Salaam to build and enhance the development local capacity that will service Tanzania’s emerging natural gas opportunities. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN