Tanzania Establishes 3,306 Industries by March 2018

By: Fatma Salum- MAELEZO

A total of 3,306 industries have been constructed by March 2018 following President Dr. John Pombe Magufuli’s vision of realizing middle income by 2025 basing on industrial economy.

This has been revealed by the Minister of Industries, Trade and Investment, Mr. Charles Mwijage while tabling his ministry budget of the Year 2018/ 2019 at the National Assembly in Dodoma City today.

Mr. Mwijage said that the country was fully determined to embark on Industrial Economy which is

a shift from Agrarian Economy that had been in place before and after independence.

“Honorable Speaker, when we talk of Industrial Economy, we mean people’s economy and that of things but prioritizing people’s development and having that economy at the centre for enhancing other sectors of development such as agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry and animal husbandry”, said Mwijage.

Minister Mwijage noted further that industrial growth and establishment depends on other facilitating factors that include infrastructure development such roads, railways, aviation, human resources who are heath sounding.

Stressing on agriculture as one of components for industrial development, Mwijage said that Warehouse Management Board and Councils Board have reached the agreement for buying agricultural products such as crops through special centres and assist peasants to ensure quality of their crops and securing information on markets and competitive prices. 

He further said that the ministry has made to the point that the price of cashew nut hikes to Tshs 3,880 per kilogram in 2017/2018 compared to Tshs. 3,346 in 2016/2017.

Speaking on attracting investment, Mwijage said that his ministry through the Tanzania Investment Centre has created conducive environment especially by reducing red tapes on investment.

Mwijage said that by July, 2017 to February 2018, TIC has registered 169 new projects worth  capital of USD 107,855,688 expecting to employ  19,799  people.

The ministry has requested the House to approve 143,334,153,648 for Fiscal Year 2018/2019 of which Tshs. 43,309,628,648 is recurrent expenditure while  100,024,525,000 is set for development.