Country’s selling power in SADC hits billion mark

DAILY NEWS Reporter in Dodoma

TANZANIA’s products sold in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) market has jumped to over 1billion USD, the House heard today.

The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Susan Kolimba, told parliamentarians that in 2007, the country’s products sold in the SADC region was 301 million USD but in 2016, the transaction tremendously increased, hitting 1.01b billion USD.

The SADC, which Tanzania is a member state, is an inter-governmental organisation headquartered in Gaborone Botswana with the main goal of furthering socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states.

The deputy minister was responding to Mr Ally Saleh Ally (Malindi-CUF) who sought to know how Tanzania was benefiting from the SADC market.

Mr Ally also wanted to know how the country was gaining from the joint projects implemented between Tanzania and other neighbouring countries like Mozambique, Zambia, DRC and Malawi.

Products that Tanzania has sold more in the SADC region, according to Dr Kolimba, include Tanzanite, gold, agricultural products, cotton, tea, coffee and other industrial items like cigarettes and mosquito nets.

The deputy minister affirmed that in the region, Tanzania has more interest in industrial development, health and transport sectors which are vital in pushing regional economic growth from the current four per cent to seven.

Dr Kolimba informed the august House that Tanzania has also been at an advantageous margin of benefiting from joint projects implemented in collaboration with other neighbouring states.

Among projects the country has benefited from, as per the deputy minister, are Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya 400kV Transmission Line which is funded by the World Bank and Japan, Songwe River Basin Development Progarmme and construction of a railway and ports.

Dr Kolimba also told the MPs that the ministry is intensifying efforts in enlightening Tanzanians on important business opportunities in the region.