Satellite technology to
enhance development
By Timothy Kitundu
The government has acknowledged that technology is a catalyst in developing the
economy and that this is why Tanzania has to continuously look and identify
opportunities to enhance Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
This was said in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday by Maua Daftari, Deputy Minister for
Communications and Transport when opening a three-day workshop on VSAT
Communication Technology.
“We live in a very dynamic world, and are constantly exposed to new innovations
every day of our lives,” she said.
Adding that if Tanzania and Tanzanians want to effectively compete in today’s
world, then they need to have access to instant and reliable information, as
this will give Tanzanians the added advantage.
She said, the world has become a lot smaller due to advanced technology – it has
become a global village with various innovative technologies being constantly
applied. Communications are faster, irrespective of borders, infrastructure and
distance.
She commended AFSAT, the company organising the workshop, “I commend AFSAT for
organising this workshop, as this is an additional gain for Tanzania, because it
gives Tanzanians the opportunity to expand their knowledge on VSAT Communication
and hopefully use that knowledge to expand and build the ICT sector.”
The Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, Dr. Pius N’gwandu
said that Tanzania as a developing nation is faced with major challenges; one of
which is the education gap between the developed nations and the developing
nations.
“The government’s sole responsibility is to ensure that this gap is bridged but
it is not an easy task for the government single-handedly. It needs the support
and partnership with corporate bodies and the private sector that operate in the
country including AFSAT,” he said.
He said, the public looks to the satellite communication technology for reliable
information on social development economics, education, environment, sports and
entertainment.
According to Frank Goyayi, AFSAT Marketing Manager the objectives of the
workshop include understanding and learning about general trends, current status
and the future of satellite technology in relation to other technologies that
are currently on the market.
Petty traders offered training
By Timothy Kitundu
A local entrepreneurship training organization, the Good Opportunities
Development and Company Limited (GODCL) has pledged to offer training to 5,000
petty traders based in Dar es Salaam to enable them move to the formal sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of GODCL, Alois Midelo told The Express in Dar es
Salaam over the weekend that they have decided to train the petty traders
popularly known as the machingas as one of the components of the initiative of
empowering Tanzanians to own their economy through an initiative known as
MILIKI.
“There is a dire need of looking for a solution for these young people who spend
most of their time in the scorching sun, its consequences might be fatal to
their health a few decades to come,” he said.
He said GODCL would bear the training expenses totalling Tsh. 260,000 which
include registration fees, legal fees, training expenses and project write-up
while each petty trader will contribute Tsh. 6,000 to the company’s registration
fees.
Midelo said the petty traders will have to form small companies of 50 people
whereby each company will be legally registered under the youth investment
capital initiative.
Once the companies have been established, he added, they would deal with various
businesses concerning wholesale and retail with capital ranging from Tsh.
350,000 to Tsh. five million which will be facilitated through the MILIKI
initiative.
“This initiative will deal with two important aspects which are not well noted
by many. It will create a conducive working environment for these young people
and it will enable them procure goods of their choice from sources that
reciprocate benefit to them,” he said.
Midelo reiterated President Benjamin Mkapa’s words that the source of
development is investment, production, services and business. “We should be
prepared to come together, form companies so as to have access to capital on our
own or through partnership,” the President said earlier this year.
According to Midelo, the concept of empowering the petty traders is in line with
the President’s directive of facilitating for the people to acquire legitimate
wealth through education and credit facilities.
The Express spoke to some petty traders who said that most of them cannot
organize themselves because the company registration fees are too high.
Abdalla Yusuf, who sells electrical appliances, said it is profitable to run his
business unregistered because he pays absolutely nothing. “I cannot afford to
pay for company registration fees as they are as high as Tsh. 260,000,” he said.
The Private Sector Foundation warned petty traders that unless they formalize
their businesses by starting small companies they won’t be able to access credit
facilities that some youth groups are benefiting from.
Basil Saprapasen from the Private Sector Foundation underscored that
entrepreneurship education is the most important aspect towards formalization.
“On top of the agenda is for you who are youths and tomorrow’s citizens and who
are yet to be in the formal sector, to have education which will raise awareness
as to how you will cross the bridge to the formal sector,” he remarked.
He said, the petty traders are scattered all over and that is why when donations
are availed, the beneficiaries who include the machingas do not benefit because
they are not registered and no one can recognize an unregistered entrepreneur.
“I think you all understand that if you are not registered, no one can trust you
with a loan or any other credit facility…you are informal, you are always on the
streets, you do not have even a contact address, who do you think will trust
you?” he queried.
Edwin Mossi, a petty trader, who sells shoes, said that it is difficult to
organize petty traders because they have to move from one part of the city to
the another due to lack of a permanent market. He said if a permanent place
where all customers would come was availed, organizing petty traders would be
easier.
‘Farmers need modern means of
farming’
By Angela Mazula
Agricultural officers should go to farms and educate farmers on modern ways of
farming and selecting seeds, in order to get good harvests and increase
production.
James Kuria, the Managing Director of the Kibo Seed Company Ltd., a seed selling
company, said this when speaking to The Express last week.
“The government should sensitise agricultural officers to go and work in the
farms and educate farmers on the best farming methods and seed selection, so
that they can get high yields, get more income which will enable them to
overcome poverty and ensure food security in the country,” he said.
He added that the company had good cooperation with the government in selling
seeds and the decision by the government to waive some of the taxes has helped
them to improve their business.
Ukerewe residents get access
to pontoon
By Joshua Mshana
Ukerewe Island residents have been urged to use the newly inaugurated pontoon,
MV Ukara, with great care in order to make it last for long and to avoid
overloading for their own safety.
The caution was made by the Sinnautic International Regional Director, Firoz
Dhalla over the weekend. He said that if the pontoon would be used carefully it
was obvious that it would help the communities boost their economic activities
as they would have a reliable means of transport.
“The pontoon will bring tangible and sustainable economic and social development
as it will facilitate transportation of products from one area to another,” said
Dhalla.
The pontoon is equipped with radar and has the capacity of carrying 105
passengers, three land rovers and two lorries.
The Regional Director further said that there are 20 villages, occupied by
farmers and fishermen who would use it to transport their goods to market
places. He said that it was his hope that the pontoon would boost business and
help them reduce poverty.
He said his company managed to get the tender for operating the pontoon after
the Central Tender Board (CTB) had announced it.
Holiday Inn assists Cancer
Institute
By Express Correspondent
Holiday Inn Dar es Salaam recently donated much needed linen worth about Tsh.
one million to the Ocean Road Cancer Institute. The donation included bed linen,
towels and bath mats.
Zainab Mabogga, the Executive Housekeeper of the Holiday Inn Dar es Salaam, said
when handing over the donation that it formed an important part of the hotel’s
social responsibility programme.
“This is centred on a policy of good citizenship which ensures that preference
is given to local suppliers and that neighbours like the Ocean Road Cancer
Institute benefit most from support by Holiday Inn”, she said.
Receiving the donation, Dr. Hamza Maunda, Director for Medical Services at the
Institute, said: “We are very grateful to Holiday Inn for this donation of linen
which will help us to maintain our wards and also keep our patients in a clean
condition.”
EOTF receives contribution
By Angela Mazula
Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPPC) Ltd. has given cement worth Tsh. 15
million to the Equal Opportunities for All Trust Fund (EOTF) for the
construction of the Kibaha Orphanage.
Speaking to the press last week Morten Gade, Managing Director of TPPC said the
100 tonnes of cement would be used in the completion of the construction
projects at Kibaha.
He said that TPPC has a corporate social responsibility programme that address
the basic needs of the disadvantaged societies.
Gade said EOTF has achieved a lot in terms of development and poverty
alleviation activities, co-ordinating and financing efforts to enable women
entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises to participate in the Dar es
Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) every year.
Mama Anna Mkapa, Chairperson of EOTF, said that EOTF had decided to build the
orphanage out of concern for the increase in number of orphans in the country
and the severe strain that this is putting on the extended family that use to
protect orphans.
Poverty Policy Week gives time
for reflection
By Salome Mtunguja
This year’s Poverty Policy Week (PPW) to start on November 1, is yet another
opportunity for further reflection on the Poverty Reduction Strategy with a
particular focus on challenges of implementation, monitoring and financing.
Edgar Maokola Majogo the Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office
(poverty eradication), said this in Dar es Salaam this week when speaking to the
press.
The Minister added that the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) review aims to
broaden and deepen the national ownership and consensus building.
According to Majogo, the review of PRS was followed by consultations with
stakeholders. “These consultations aimed at collecting views from a wide range
of stakeholders and fostering national ownership of poverty reduction
strategies,” he said.
The Minister added that the draft that was made was discussed by stakeholders to
identify gaps and enhance the ownership as well as building consensus on the
poverty reduction strategies.
Therefore, he said, the government will continue to encourage stakeholders to
effectively participate and consult for the purpose of improving interventions
that reduce poverty.
Tanga Port aims for expansion
By Angela Mazula
The Tanga Port has witnessed an increase in the amount of containers handled
annually, according to Samson Luhigo, Director General and Chief Executive
Officer of Tanzania Harbours Authority (THA).
Speaking during the National Transport Week Luhigo said that about 95 per cent
of the Port’s total throughput is general cargo, including containers.
In 2001/02 the Port handled 11,414 containers, which was 30 per cent more than
in 2000/01.
He said the Tanga Port aims to listen to the demand of its users as the port
strives to deliver and improve its import and export services in an increasingly
competitive market.
“As the Port continues to extend its range of facilities, so its efficiency and
performance will improve, providing all the right ingredients for privatisation”
he stressed.
Tanzania to benefit in trade
with EU
By Timothy Kitundu
Developing countries including Tanzania will benefit from a Trade Initiative
following the European Commission’s adoption of a proposal setting out the
details of the EU system of trade preferences - Generalised System of
Preferences (GSP) for the period 2006-2008.
According to the EU communiqué availed to The Express this week, the proposal
builds on the guidelines issued by the Commission in July in which the GSP
initiative is a key instrument to help developing countries reduce poverty by
stimulating their exports to the EU.
Presenting the new GSP system the EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said: “The
EU is already the world’s largest provider of trade preferences in favour of
developing countries – enabling us to import more than all other major developed
countries put together.
But we want to do even better, by focusing on the poorest and most vulnerable
developing countries that most need trade preferences to access the EU market.
Also in this scheme, we are making a sizeable and concrete down payment on
sustainable development in GSP + scheme.”
Thecommuniqué states that the current five GSP arrangements are reduced to
three. The first is a general arrangement reduction of 3.5 per cent over the
normal customs duty for sensitive products, reduction of duties to zero for
non-sensitive products.
The second concerns the “Everything but Arms”, giving duty-free and quota free
access for all products for the world’s 50 poorest countries. The third is
“GSP+”, giving tariff preferences to vulnerable countries who meet the new
objective criteria for sustainable development and good governance.
Countries with preferential access to the EU market under a bilateral agreement
(e.g. a free trade area) will be removed from the list of GSP beneficiaries
since they already have better access to the EU market.
The new GSP incentive encouraging sustainable development and good governance is
proposed to replace the three former incentive schemes which are drugs; social;
and environment arrangements.
The GSP will apply during three years without any changes.
The proposed GSP+ system based on clear, transparent and non-discriminatory
criteria fully complies with the WTO Appellate Body brought forward by India
against the EU’s GSP drugs regime.
Ministry, ILO to improve
cooperative sector
By Merlien Mhamaka, Morogoro
The Ministry of Cooperatives and Marketing in collaboration with stakeholders
within and outside the country and the International Labour Organisation are
preparing modalities on how to improve the cooperative sector in the country.
The country’s Director of Cooperative Development and Cooperatives Registrar,
Professor Anacteti Kashuliza when answering questions from stakeholders of rural
cooperative societies explained this.
Some of the recommendations of improving the cooperative sector he said include
training, management and empowering functionaries and stakeholders in the
country.
The recommendations, he said, are part of a master plan of improving the
cooperative movement in the country. Under the programme, the Savings and Credit
Cooperative Societies (SACOS) will be greatly revolutionised, so make it
up-to-date.
The government is making concerted efforts to improve the cooperatives, as they
are the only organs, which will help poor people fight poverty.
By improving the cooperatives, Kashuliza said primary cooperative societies will
be strengthened and qualified workers will be employed in the cooperative
sector.
After all these improvements, members will have the task of starting Regional
Cooperative Banks, a thing that will make the economy of the country improve.
Presently, the Director said, the government and the cooperative stakeholders
are evaluating modalities of creating a strong cooperative movement countywide,
including establishing the Cooperative Bank of Tanzania.
Tobacco board launched
By Angela Mazula
In order to reduce the rate of cancer increment in the country the government
has launched a Tobacco Board of Committee (TBC) that will be regulating laws
previously passed.
Speaking to the press, Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi said that
there is a need of introducing this board because it is very important in
maintaining the situation for those affected by tobacco.
The committee will follow all the regulations and laws, which were already meant
to be used within the period of four years, the committee will also be engaged
in different sectors so as to conduct its responsibilities.
Dr. Mwinyi said tobacco apart from being one of the cash crops which contributes
to the national economy, also has effect for the farmers and the users too.
“The effect of the tobacco is increasing every day and about five million
Tanzanians die every year.”
Dr. Mwinyi urged people to be open when contracted by the disease associated
with tobacco and participate in looking for ways to reduce the number of victims
in the country.
Farmers urged to adopt
organic farming
By Sebastian Gabunga, Meatu
People living in Meatu District, Mwanza Region have been urged to adopt organic
farming, which enables farmers to conduct agricultural activities without doing
damages to the environment.
This suggestion was given by the Coordinator of BioRe Company Tanzania Limited,
Absalim Mbwambo in an interview with The Express. BioRe Tanzania Ltd. deals with
motivating people to apply organic farming in Meatu District.
It is believed that by farming organically farmers are guaranteed of a
sustainable development.
Organic farming does not need insecticides made from factories and fertilizers.
According to Mbwambo, the use of strong insecticides for killing insects,
contributes to environmental degradation, low soil fertility as well as
affecting farmer’s health. Moreover, he added that the acquisition of such
inputs is costly and retards the farmer’s efforts in fighting poverty.
BioRe Company has been urging people to use natural fertilizers which do not do
damage to the environment. These include compost manure, cow dung, mixed ashes,
plant remains and application of crop rotation.
The company advises the farmers to grow sunflowers in between their cotton
farms, as a way of increasing their incomes. When sunflowers have been planted
in between cotton plants, he said, they are used as traps, as they attract
insects that destroy cotton balls, and thus reduce the use of costly
insecticides.
Crops deriving from organic farming have the best prices at international
markets, as the crops lack factory fertilizers or chemicals.
Up to now Mwambo said, a total of 1,000 farmers have associated themselves with
the organic farming programmes and that the Company projects to reach 1,500
members by the end of this year.
He named some villages that had adopted organic farming in Meatu District as
Ng’hoboke, Bulyashi, Mwamishali, Mwambiti and Kabondo.
55,000 households to benefit
from RFSP
By Merline Mhamaka, Morogoro
A total of 55,000 households have benefited from the Rural Financial
Organi-sations Assistance Fund (RFSP) in the first phase of the project, which
was established in 2002 in six regions in Tanzania.
The Project Coordinator, Atilio Thomas Mahele revealed this Monday this week,
when reporting on the first phase of implementation of the project, which ends
in December this year, to stakeholders of the project who were called to
evaluate the implementation.
Mahele said a total of 291,000 people have benefited, adding the project also
aims at increasing incomes and food production to rural poor households by
motivating them to save for the future.
RFSP has enabled poor households to benefit from Rural Financial Organi-sations,
which are in their areas by providing infrastructure and sus-tainable financial
networks.
The households that has so far benefited from the project are in the regions of
Kilimanjaro, Dodoma, Singida, Mbeya, Iringa and Rukwa.
The second phase of the project which starts in 2005 and ends in 2007 will
involve 219,450 house-holds, equivalent to 1,163,000 people.
The third phase of the project starts in 2008 and ends in 2010 and will
incorporate 300,000 households, equivalent to 1.5 million people.
The project has accele-rated the speed of self reliance in the project areas.
Through the project, Mahele said, the rural financial organisations have been
receiving assistance to enable them to reduce the financial and social strains
for the rural poor.
The stakeholders called on the Project Manager to see that the project includes
the same districts of the first phase in the second and the third phases of the
project.
Halfan Hidda, Mufindi District Council Executive Director said some of the
districts including Mufindi, which were in the first phase, are not included in
the second and third phases.
Bariadi District spends on
water wells
By Kabele Lazaro, Bariadi
Bariadi District Council in Shinyanga Region, through its Rural Water Supply and
Sanitation Project (RWSSP), plans to spend over Tsh. 100 million for drilling 74
water wells for clean and safe drinking water.
Bariadi District Council Executive Director, Andrew Juma told The Express last
weekend that, the project is expected to take off before the end of October and
contractors have been secured.
According to the Executive Director out of these 74 water wells, 30 wells are
shallow and 43 are deep water wells. The drilling of the water wells will be
done in two different phases; the first phase will commence before the end of
this year, with the drilling 30 shallow water wells.
During the second phase, which is scheduled for early next year, he said a total
of 40 water wells will be drilled.
After completion, Juma said the District Council will have reduced substantially
the shortage of water for its residents including reaching its aim of providing
clean and safe drinking water of 58 per cent by 2006, from the present 48 per
cent.
Bariadi District has a population of 600,000 people and all depend on water
wells which do not exceed 500 in number.
‘Take precautions when
awarding tenders’
By Kim Aidan, Morogoro
District Council Chairmen, including Councillors, have been asked to be very
careful when awarding and supervising the implementation of tenders for their
districts, to avoid sabotaging any district council plans.
The statement was issued by the Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Stephen
Mashishanga, when opening a meeting called to discuss ways of improving the
departme-ntal functions of district councils in Morogoro Region, held at Veta
Vocation College hall at Mikumi in Kilosa District.
Mashishanga said chairmen and finance committee members have to seriously
analyse the statements given by the Councils’ Tender Boards to ascertain that
the expenditures used are really allocated in the Councils’ budgets.
He cautioned Coun-cillors to be careful with board members who violate tender
procedures, with the aim of obtaining commissions for tenders advertised by
District Councils, including making follow up of contractors who have been
awarded tenders.
Adding, there are several groups of people in the District Councils who work for
their own benefits through corru-ptive means especially when announcing tenders.
The Regional Commi-ssioner has advised Councillors not to close their eyes, when
such things happen. Instead, they should inform his office, so that legal steps
are taken against the culprits, including removing them from their jobs and from
the service generally.
Water shortage ends for Songe
Secondary School
By Beldina Nyakeke, Musoma
Songe Secondary School in Musoma town, Mara Region has spent Tsh. 30 million on
purchasing and installing a water pumping machine, thus easing the water problem
that has been troubling the School for the last ten years.
This was revealed by the headmaster Naashon Otieno on Monday during the
graduation ceremony at the School, which also included the official inauguration
of pipe water at Songe Secondary School.
Otieno said, the problem of shortage of water has now come to an end after the
School management together with the parents contributed Tsh. 30 million for the
provision.
Following the shortage of water many students were affected with various
diseases, including bilharzias, as the students had to bathe in dirty Lake water
where they also risked being eaten by crocodiles.
At the graduation ceremony, 131 Form Four students were awarded with Leaving
School Certificates and the guest of honour was Mara Regional Education Officer
Ramadhani Chomola.
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