FRENCH Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Malika
Berak along with Economic Advisor to the embassy, Ms Béatrice Alperte,
speaks during a press briefing on the forthcoming four-day
France-Tanzania Business Forum dubbed “Semaine de la France”, a forum
which aims to strengthen and nurture trade initiatives whose ultimate
goal is to improve France and Tanzania business partnership. The event
is expected to be graced by the Vice-President, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The forum is set to focus on sectors that will support Tanzania strategy
of industrialization such as; energy, including renewable energies,
transport, digital solutions and also seek how to provide capacity
building to local businesses. (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)
THE French Embassy in Tanzania has organized a four-day forum that centred on fostering partnership and development through businesses in Dar es Salaam.
The Business forum, the first ever and
dubbed ‘Semaine de la France’ (France Week), kicks off next Monday and
expected to receive participants from 50 companies and 250 stakeholders
from Dar es Salaam and Paris.
French Ambassador to Tanzania Malika
Berak said that various sectors were selected for the France-Tanzania
Business Forum on the back of the Dar es Salaam’s industrialization
drive policy.
“This is a private sector driven forum…
centred on strengthening and nurturing trade initiative whose ultimate
goal is to improve France-Tanzania business partnership,” Berak told
journalists yesterday.
The Ambassador said the unprecedented
event envisages to spread a better knowledge of Dar and Paris by
building new bridges and solidifying the existing relationship.
The event focused on sectors that would
support the country’s strategy of industrialization namely energy,
transport, digital solution, water and capacity building to local
businesses.
Ms Berak said the operators from
Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation,
Regional and International Relations, Ministry of Finance and Planning,
the French Ministry of foreign affairs and Development Agency are
closely associated with the event.
“The forum is an open eye for French
companies who want to invest in Tanzania… As last year we carried
similar event in Paris and most companies showed interest to come.
I’m grateful, our six months preparation
paid off,” Ms Berak said. France Embassy’s Economic and Trade Advisor,
Beatrice Alperte said the business forum focused on bonding partnership
by supporting the dialogue between France and Tanzania public and
private sector.
The dialogue centred on disseminating
the expertise, experience and track records of French companies in
Africa and promoting networking and win-win partnership between Dar and
Paris private sector.
“The level of business between France
and Tanzania is still low, in favour of Paris by 70 per cent… but that
is why we are doing this forum to change the figures,” Ms Alperte said.
She admitted that French participation
in East Africa bloc trading and investment was still low compared to
West Africa but hope things will change. Ms Alperte said big French
companies which operate in East Africa, Africa and new ones are coming
to the event including Total, Engies, Egis, Bouygues and the like.
During the forum, apart from workshops
on renewable energy, transport, ICT also roundtables on infrastructure
financing, capacity building will be held.
Some firms participating in the forum
will also stage some exhibitions while high level debate on architecture
will be held under General Secretary of the French Architects Overseas
Association.
At the sideline of the forum, regional
meeting will take place incorporating 10 French ambassadors, trade
commissioners from the East Africa and horn of Africa. Tanzania private
sector will be led by Reginald Mengi, a business mogul and chairman of
Tanzania Private Sector Foundation.
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