Speaking during a familiarisation tour
of the Tanzania Standard (Newspapers) Limited (TSN) in Dar es Salaam on
Friday, the Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the country,
Mr Gou Haodong, said it was encouraging to see a lot of good things were
happening in Tanzania.
The diplomat mentioned measures to
combat corruption and enforce discipline among public leaders, which he
said were right steps in the right direction.
"Corruption is number one enemy of
development ... it undermines the economy. No matter how rich and
abundant resources the country has, corruption puts the wealth in the
hands of very few people," he observed.
Mr Haodong, who began his tour of duty
in the country last February, said Tanzania was his fifth African
country to visit and work after Eretria, Ethiopia, Liberia and Botswana
and he can say with confidence that the path that Dr Magufuli has taken
was the right one.
"I see Tanzania as a Middle Income
country by 2025 because when a country moves in the right direction ...
when people are motivated and capable leadership in place, things do
happen," he said, giving an example of China, which through similar
efforts changed its rank from 128th in 1970s to the second largest
economy in the world today.
He said he was confident that if the
ongoing efforts are sustained, the government will achieve its national
goals. Mr Haodong said that the best way to describe democracy is
through people's standard of living where it delivers prosperity and
maximum benefits to everyone.
"There is normally maximum benefits delivered to the majority, enabling them to lead good life," he said.
The diplomat also argued that when the
economy grows steadily it is a proof that people are enjoying basic
human rights. "That is exactly what Magufuli is doing to uplift the
standard of living of those who are downtrodden, restore their basic
rights and improve their living standards,’’ he observed.
He also remarked that constructive
criticism is healthy for national development. "But we should not be
bogged down by unconstructive criticisms that are meant to frustrate
leaders' efforts meant to derail the country from its national goals,"
he cautioned.
Mr Haodong also exchanged views with the Acting Managing Editor, Ms Tuma Abdallah, and the management during his tour.
He said that he was a loyal reader of the TSN products and was impressed by the level of professionalism in the media house.
"I am indeed impressed by the level of
professionalism demonstrated by the TSN products," adding that there was
a unique way that the stories were written in terms of respecting the
right to respond and striking a balance," said the counsellor.
For her part, Ms Abdallah expressed
appreciation to the Chinese government for the continued support
extended to TSN. "We highly value your government support that was
extended through your embassy and also count on your visit as a gesture
of cementing our cooperation in the area of communications," she said
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