The 11th East Africa Expo-link Trade exhibition in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

THE 11th East Africa International Trade Exhibition was held in Dar es Salaam in mid of October this year. The occasion which took place at Diamond Jubilee Hall had the mission apart from the exhibition itself whose motive is to expose various industrial and consumer products into the entire Regional East Africa market. The East Africa's International Trade Exhibition is the largest trade event held annually in Tanzania, the hub of the vast East African market. The exhibition attracted exhibitors from more than 30 countries including visitors from all over East & Central Africa, thus giving exhibitors an excellent opportunity to explore several countries in one time. Over the past few years, Tanzania has emerged as a major regional trade center. This is mainly due to a very friendly and business like atmosphere it offers to foreign investors and products. Duties are considerably low and exports to neighboring countries are either very low or exempted.

A placard carrying a welcoming message of the 11th East Africa Expo-Link trade exhibition as my Sumsung digital camera captured it at diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam.

The significance of the trade exhibition is to showcase various product range being manufactured for normal consumption. The so-called Expolink is a major annual trade exhibitions organized by EXPOLINK GROUP worldwide which are Build East Africa, Auto East Africa, Kenya International Trade Exhibition, Tanzania International Trade Exhibition, Food Hotel & Kitchen, Machinery East Africa, Packaging Expo East Africa, Building & Mining Tanzania, Expo Yemen, Expo-Uganda, Expo-Ethiopia, Expo-Nigeria, Security East Africa, Telesat East Africa, Computers & Offices Africa, Expo Egypt. Build-expo Egypt - Egypt Building Exhibition, East Africa International Trade Exhibition, Build-expo East Africa, Medexpo East Africa, Medical Exhibition of East Africa and Fashion East Africa
East Africa 's International Multi-Sector Trade Exhibition attracting exhibitors from over 30 countries. Between 2004-2005 Expo-link exhibition was introduced with new trade exhibition such as Secure-expo East Africa International Trade exhibition on security and safety.

This is the reception leading to the exhibition hall on the right hand side

Former Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing Dr. Florens Turuka is being welcomed on his arrival by the organizers of the exhibition at the Diamond Jubilee Hall. With him are the exhibition organizers, trailing behind him is Mr. Edwin Rwehumbiza of the Board of External Trade and an official from the BET who co-hosted the function.

Expo-link is a proud member of the Expo Group, a prestigious name in the global exhibition industry with branches in more than 20 countries. The subsidiary was formed with the idea of organizing trade events in various emerging markets, emphasizing on Africa, Middle East, Australia and the Indian continent. In 2002, Expo group celebrated its 10th international trade exhibition covering 17 countries within a period of 10 years. Reasons behind the success have been many, but those contributing most are identifying potential markets and offering a whole world of services.

Former deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing Dr. Florens Turuka in his capacity by then, cuts a tape as a Chief guest of honour to officially open the 11th East Africa International Trade Expo 2008 in Dar es Salaam last year. A three day occasion which took place at Diamond Jubilee hall was attended by mostly businessmen in the city. Dr. Florens is now full Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Culture and Sports following recent changes made by President Jakaya Kikwete.

Expo group worldwide also includes countries in European countries such as France, Italy and the Netherlands. The group also plans to carry out exhibition in Melbourne Australia which will be Expo-link Australia’s first International trade exhibition on new products based on the current technological applications, Infrastructure Products and those related in Building and construction of city planning etc.

Dr. Florens Turuka is being briefed by an exhibitor, a German national when he started a tour of the pavilions inside a hall. He is briefed on how some medical facilities and modern medical equipment work.

The PS is being introduced by an exhibitor on arrival at their pavilion

Dr. Florens Turuka is being briefed by an exhibitor Mr. Mfuru Mmiku, a Technical and Application Specialist of Health and Safety (T) Ltd company on how the Haemotology analyzer machine for blood testing works. This was when the PS toured the company’s pavilion which was among the participants in a three day East Africa International Trade Expo 2008 held in October this year at Diamond Jubilee hall in Dar es Salaam. Health and Safety (T) Ltd company is a sole supplier of medical laboratories equipment and reagents in the country which are being manufactured by a Japanese based Sysmex company.

Mr. Ronald Njabulo Shumba, a Zimbabwean national working for Sysmex South Africa as a Technical Product Specialist showing a visitor how Haemotology analyzer machine for blood testing works and how it gives results of a patient tested during the exhibition. Mr. Shumba is a Territory Manager for the company representing Africa region.

This is Health and Safety (T) company Limited whereby visitors thronged to see how medical equipment that belongs to the company known as blood-analyzer conducts blood cell testing

The PS as he moves around various pavilions. His presence as the guest of honour created a happy atmosphere as most exhibitors showed a grin of happiness in their eyes wherever he visited.

The PS is signing a book in one of the pavilions he had visited.

This is at SpeedCraft Company Limited, an Indian based company which supplies construction equipment

SpeedCraft company: Manufacturers of road building equipment of various range such as aggregate and bitumen mixing machine, Asphalt mixing plants, Bitumen supply system, A bucket elevator and many others. Speedcraft is a company from India which was established in 1971 in Partna capital of Bihar. The company is not only known for its quality but also for its commitment towards total customer satisfaction and implementation of projects on schedules.

Four exhibitors of an Indian company during the exhibition

They are showing the PS what their company manufactures, these are medicated products.

This is ABCO Group Limited from Egypt, the company has specialized in food processing.

The PS getting explanations from an exhibitor of Sinthech company from India. The firm deals with water pumps

Dr. Florens Turuka is being interviewed by Star TV reporter during the 11th East Africa International Trade Expo 2008 for which he was the guest of honour. Among other important things the PS insisted to Tanzanian manufacturers was the promotion of their goods so as they could meet the international standards set in a global market. Among the most important point the PS noted for Tanzanian traders is that he urged local manufacturers of products ranging from consumables, industrial, medical etc have been urged to quickly develop a strategy which would enable their industrial products meet international demand in a global market.

Star TV reporter took time to interview the PS when he had finished walking round the pavilions.

A Tanzanian ICT pavilion: Sai Office Supplies (TZ) Limited is the world’s largest manufacturer of dot matrix printers with a product range that offers the ultimate in high speed, low-cost reliable and durable printing across all stationery for which there is simply no alternative, no other technology offers such broad capability from a single machine.

A range of ICT office products at the pavilion.

KLR Industries Limited: This is based in India, they are suppliers of most modern drilling borehole machines such as KLR piling ring, tractor mounted hydraulic rigs specialty for multi-purpose work such as hole drilling, blast hole drilling as well as borehole drilling, crawler mounted for blast hole drill rigs, hydraulic wagon drill KWD-100 and KLR rotary drill rig the company’s inherit confidence has its roots in its success story in mother country. Today KLR drill rigs are performing satisfactorily and can claim to be customer’s first choice in East African countries and outside.

Arihant industries corporation Ltd: Also based in India, the company manufacturers multi-play systems for children such as those for spiral slide, FRP double roller, curve slide, mini slide wave slide and many others of the same kind.

An exhibitor standing on alert to receive his guests during the exhibition at Arihant industries corporation Ltd pavilion.

This is a Tanzanian based Kilimanjaro Architectural glazing Ltd. They are fabricators and installers of quality architectural glazing solutions throughout the world since 1978. Products used are aluminium casement windows and aluminium curtain walling as well as those for aluminium doors.

Taibah Industries; A Pakistan based manufacturers and exporters of hand sprayers. The company was established to achieve the definite goal in the field of manufacturing industrial equipment. It is preparing spray machines whose quality speaks volume with the mark of distinction in the agricultural sector all over the country. These are manufactured by using high quality of imported polythene and international standards steel. The sprayer eliminates pests, insects etc effectively and economically from lawns, homes, gardens, orchards, water tanks, pools, drains, farms and animal shed.

A visitor at Taibah industries moves on after having been briefed about the company’s activities during the show.
This is a pavilion of a German company named EISENKRAFT Ltd which deals with making window decorations by using a machine as this demonstrator at the pavilion who could not want to mention his name is seen displaying to visitors who came to his pavilion. According to him, he has two machines one costs at EURO 1,400 and the other whose cost is about EURO 4,000, the latter looks bigger. He sells these machines and a customer has to order them directly from his industry based in Germany. They provide a manual book with decorations one may choose from the list for the purpose.

The pavilion which attracted many visitors also became an attraction to show goers during Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) in July 2008. Once a customer buys a machine, the company undertakes the necessary steps of installation, then a one year guarantee is given. Before that owners take time to train their customers on how to use it wherever possible, and incase of any problem, they have to phone him

This is a sample of a window set with decorations made from the machines which are in display at the exhibition hall. An exhibitor stunned his audiences when he couldn’t even want to issue his contacts unless one could pay an advanced sum of money he demanded as an initial payment, then he closes the deal. Everybody was left in a great amazement by his decision.

Visitors look keenly how an exhibitor arranges the machines which he normally sets them before starting making window decorations at a pavilion.

An exhibitor from the tyre service company is explaining a point to a show goer about the new technology used in tyre service for tubeless tyre brands especially when it’s encountered a puncture. This is a company from Italy

Exhibitors standing in front of their pavilions in reception to would be visitors.

This is how the internal arrangement of the pavilion was designed, with names of the representing companies written on top of the pavilion frames

A visitor passes through along a corridor, a space well designed inside a hall.

A visitor helps to adjust a placard which was about to fall down as he passes close to one of the pavilions

The interior partitioning work was done in a more professional architectural design.

After 47 years of independence, Tanzania sees the benefits of ICTs

TANZANIA commemorated its 47TH anniversary of independence on 9th December 2008 with the country urging its citizens to cope with the emerging technologies in a bid to attain the millennium development goals. The Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been increasingly seen as integral part to the development processes. Most observers may have noted that the global economy is in the digital age and the information has become the primary source for global economic development, and in view of this, Tanzania has taken technological stride to meet its targets. Art the same time, developing countries are increasingly alarmed at the emerging digital divide in which those without the latest (most expensive) tools such as in the mobile phones will find themselves unable to compete in the global market place. Since the ICT industry is broad, it should be noted that this discussion will focus on the internet and the telephone. This is not because other ICTs, such as radio and the postal services are unimportant, far from it. The radio is used almost universally, making it a powerful tool in disseminating information among the poor. According to studies, levels of radio concentration in developing countries such as Tanzania are on average about 10 times higher than telecommunication expansion. Postal service offers through over 650,000 post offices worldwide, are also far from becoming obsolete. Indeed, in as advanced markets, users of internet technologies are those that send and receive most mail, reads a line in a book titled “Information and Communication Technologies and Broad-Based Development”.
Internet use is spreading among Tanzanians, as government institutions use it for the dissemination of information, and Universities such as the Open University of Tanzania has has set up projects for distance learning and as cyber cafés become common place in major towns and cities. However, it is necessary to remember that the phenomenon only touches a minority of the community” writes Safari Mafu of Sokoine Universality of Agriculture in a paper titled,”From the Oral Tradition to the Information Era:” the case for Tanzania.

Open University of Tanzania, headquarter building in Dar es Salaam. The University has been providing distant higher learning programs in Tanzania for undergraduate as well as Masters degreee programs and post graduate diplomas since 1992

According to him, in a situation where the electricity does not cover the whole country, where the service providers are still experiencing difficulties and where there is a large group with no surplus revenue, internet use will remain an elite activity. This limitation is underscored by the language of the internet. History shows that in the span of just less than two centuries, Tanzania witnessed a rapid transition from oral means of gathering and disseminating information and knowledge to transmission through the printed word to electronic means of information collection, storage and retrieval. “This rapid development of means of transmission has also meant a change in the medium of transmission, with both beneficial and detrimental effects for most Tanzanians” scholars say. Latest changes in how communication and information dispense are now causing the same kind of seismic move that occurred in the early colonial period. Information technology in general and the internet in particular are causing great changes in learning, literacy practices and communication. The very language of exchange has once again shifted . Challenges posed by the digital divide and the risk of being excluded further from the knowledge economy and social development, has propelled the government to put in place a policy framework through which coordinating mechanisms and harmonized strategies might be nurtured.

Students at Open University of Tanzania accessing computers to research study materials for their assignments at the main campus in Kinondoni district, Dar es Salaam region. Computers connected with internet have been more helpful for students at the campus who studies through distance learning basis.

This policy framework makes it possible for enabling sectors such as telecommunications, information, or broadcasting to work together whereby enabled sectors such as education, health, and good governance or agriculture can become more empowered through the appropriate development and application of ICTs. Notable progress was achieved in deploying ICTs notwithstanding the 1974 Prohibition Order on Electronic Computers and Television sets. The achievements were a result of various adjustments since the early 1990sd in policy, regulatory and commercial facets, both macro-economic and within ICTs converging sectors. The private sector has actively contributed to t6hese achievements by investing in among others, support facilities, training centers and sales outlets. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Tanzania had 820,000 internet users by September 2005, about 6.7 pe4rcent of the population. This number, of course will be higher to date. Significant improvements has been made in the area of telephones. Until the 1990s, there was only one telephone company in business, a nation-owned landline operator. In the mid of 1990s mobile phones operators began coming following te liberalization of the air waves industry According to figures published by the regulator, the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA), the number of Tanzanians with mobile phones reached 7.5 million by September 30, 2007 up from 6.7 million at the end of the previous quarter.
Mobile phone giant Vodacom led the way with 3,693 million customers ahead of the former Celtel (now known as Zain) with 2,251 million. Tigo (992,036) and Zantel (553,975). In the fixed line sector, the incumbent Tanzania Telecommunications Limited (TTCL) reported a drop in a number of main lines in service from 169,135 to 160,964 in the same period.

This is the headquarter building of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA, known as Mawasiliano House meaning communication house, which is situated along Ali Hassan Road in Dar es Salaam.

According to information made available by TCRA, the ICT statistics shows that while the population of Tanzania is growing at the rate of 2.7 percent per annum, the number of Tanzanians subscribing to telephone line is currently rising by around 47 percent per year. Nonetheless, it notes there is still aw huge gap in terms of universal telecom access and that at least 80.6 percent of the population do not have a telephone line at all, either fixed or mobiles. A recent report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) Tanzania has been ranked in 11th position in Africa for Information and Communication Technology . Likewise, global information technology report of 2006-2007 networked readiness index had ranked Tanzania as in the 91st position worldwide. The WEF report cited such factors as hindering the ICT improvement and development in the sub-Saharan region as lack of extensive and efficient infrastructure, other reasons are cited as due to over-regulated business environment and low education standards. The government has deployed various approaches towards achieving this development. For example in 1995, established an independent regulatory commission by separating the operations of the Telecommunications market and the government sale of 30 percent of its stake to international and local consortia companies. In 1999, it started an e-think tank to bring together different Tanzanian stakeholders, including the government for the purpose of discussing ICT benefits and formulating National ICT strategies. An e-secretariat is in place to coordinate the activities of the e-think tank. Its mission s to offer ICT leadership by utilizing policy changes and supporting related developments aimed at enabling Tanzanians to participate effectively in the modern internet-based global economy. Until recently, Tanzania had been solely reliant on exporting itys agricultural products to other parts of Africa and Europe. A number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are now offering internet trading to farmers and other businesses to sell their products around the world.

Swahili software, “The Jambo Mozilla firefox” in common use

Concerns that African languages could become extinct are almost over because internet is assumed to become a refuge. The successful localization of Free Open Source Software (FOSS) into Kiswahili language by the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) is a one step forward towards digital divide. Despite the powerful influence of English, French & Portuguese as official languages in certain African countries, still indigenous languages are proving that internet technology belongs to no language. Now all Kiswahili web browsers from within and outside Tanzania can appreciate efforts done by the Kilinux Team for their successful localization of a free open source software into Kiswahili language which can now be read in the internet. Kilinux is an Open Swahili Localization Project which was formed in 2003 by the joint effort between the University of Dar e Salaam (UDSM) and the Royal Swedish IT Consultancy company with a view to develop Swahili software to be used in the computers.
The project is a part of an international initiative formed as a taskforce and has gathered a multi-disciplinary team composed by members of the dept of Computer Science and the Institute of Swahili Research of the UDSM. The pioneering effort does not only aim to localize free and open source software into Swahili language, but also create awareness among Swahili speakers of the benefits of using and extending open source software, says Dr. Hashim Twaakyondo, the overall project coordinator. Dr. Twaakyondo who is also the head of Computer Science dept at the UDSM confirmed that “The Jambo Mozilla Firefox 1.0.3, the title name given to the second Swahili software has been released by his dept to the general public for internet use since early 2007. “It’s fully translated into Kiswahili language and runs on both Linux components and Windows XP” he says the efforts undertaken are part of the National Development Strategy.

Journalists at work during the inaugural ceremony of the new Kiswahili software known as "Mozilla Firefox program. The ceremony took place at Nkrumah hall at University of Dar es Salaam main campus in early 2007. Former second phase President Mzee Ali Hassan Mwinyi was the guest of honour.

According to him, they have already accomplished the whole process for making registration of the product into getting CVC account for the Fire fox Localization from a USA based Mozilla organization and the program is in full swing in most computers connected with internet in the country. According to a research assistant working on the project, Mr. James Chambua, they have acquired enough knowledge and skills from their scientific research works and studies at the UDSM of translating Linux operating system from one language to another. However, he says that, the project really helps in providing an effective knowledge in computational linguistic and that the work will help the future of Tanzanians in this world of science and technology by using their own Open Source Software (OSS). He says, the aim of Swahili Localization project since its inception was to destroy the existing language barrier in the country as most operating system and websites in Tanzania are in English language spoken by few Tanzanians an aspect that results into poor understanding of the information given on the web.

Analyzing basic problems incurred on the dissemination of the product, another project researcher, Kenedy Mwakisolwe, says that awareness is still not widespread over the use of the product among Tanzanians. But he is optimistic that its advantages will help most Tanzanians to have control of their own language that is commonly used for business as in other countries like Rusia, Japan, China, Brazil, German and France who use their own OSS. Apart from Kiswahili, other African languages enjoying similar advancements include Uganda’s Luganda, Kenya’s Kikuyu, Burundi’s Kirundi, Rwanda’s Kinyarwanda, Somali’s Somalia and Nigeria’s Hausa.
The proliferation of African languages on the internet is giving these languages a new breath of life though they cover 2 percent of the largest African indigenous languages to be online. Kiswahili will now be the third language whose software is made available in the internet.
The first ever release of the Swahili software the dept of Computer Science at the UDSM dealt with during phase one project is called “Jambo Open Office”. This is a release of an office suite in Kiswahili which has been developed on the free and open office 1.1.3 and is similar in functionality to Microsoft’s popular office programes. The developers released the product in October 2004 having overcome translation and infrastructure difficulties, and it can be installed in both Linux operating systems to support the East Africa language of Swahili in the internet and in Microsoft Office Windows.
The Kilinux team had the opportunity to demonstrate Jambo Office Software to enable Kiswahili users to create documents, presentations, drawings, design websites etc, based on Swahili language. The release is primarily focusing at Tanzanians as there are strong regional differences in Swahili usage, but the team worked with groups in Kenya to make modifications for Kenyan Swahili.
According to the Programme Technical Director of the Kilinux project, Dr. Alberto .E. Pascual, the aim of the project is to eventually have Swahili language software operating on thousands of computers at grass roots level, including primary schools and universities. Its designers describe it as a major initiative towards a full operating system in Swahili and it’s currently being used in most primary and secondary schools in Tanzania including institutions, colleges, government offices and at individual companies. Swahili is the most commonly spoken Bantu African language and it’s the chief trade language of East Africa, and conservative estimates indicate that is being spoken by over 100 million people in areas such as Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Malawi and parts of the horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Regions. ICT is the cornerstone of vision 2020 that aims to make Tanzania an exporter of services and ultimately making her the regional ICT hub in future. Limiting people to the use of ICT in a foreign language tend to exacerbate the digital divide. It makes the ICT adoption long, difficult, and expensive and impoverishes local culture. Efforts have just begun to make Kiswahili “internet and ICT ready” for the benefit of the community that speaks the language. It is arguably the richest language in the region in terms of culture, semantics and phonology. It is believed that the readiness of Kiswahili in ICT has a direct impact on the development of ICT in education, particularly in Tanzania where most government owned schools still use this language as a medium of instruction. All pupils taking primary education, except few in private schools learn all subjects in Kiswahili for seven years of basic education, making the language so critical in the implementation of ICT in education. However, this changes at higher levels of learning when the language becomes only a subject and not a medium of instruction in secondary schools and all higher learning institutions. On the other hand, the English language is taught as a subject in all public primary schools but becomes a medium of instruction in all subjects after the seven years of primary education. This system of education has been criticized in several forums but the government has refused to change it.
Open Source Software (OSS) refers to any program whose source code is made publicly and freely available for use and or modification.
Inherent in open source philosophy is the freedom of a distributed community of programmers to modify and improve the code. The most widely known example of open source software is the Linux operating system.
Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linux Torvalds as a University project in 1991. With the assistance of developers around the world, the software has grown into one of the most preferred operating systems today.
Developed under the General Public License, the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone making it easy for the free flow of queries and suggestions for both end-users and programmers. Unlike other similar software, there are no restrictions for copying and distribution of Linux, it’s instead encouraged for wider use, says a computer enthusiast and Software engineer and a US based ICT expert, Mr. Antoine Bigirimana.
Localization makes ICT more accessible to everybody including users from rural areas and young students who reinforces the importance of local culture and helping us preserve national identity. Localization of ICT into indigenous African languages is therefore a key to rapid socio-economic development in Africa. For Localization to succeed and have its maximum impact in a society, collaboration among governments, civil society, educators, linguists, computer professionals, standards organizations and donor agencies is necessary.

The price of charcoal rises up by 100 percent

CHARCOAL users in the city of Dar es Salaam have been digging deeper into their pockets to buy charcoal whose price has increased by 100 percent for the last two years. Charcoal commodity which is largely used as a source of fuel mostly by low income earners, has increased from Tshs. 15.000/- to Shs. 30,000/- for a sack weighing about 50 kilograms. The survey shows that, most people who are not able to afford the price of one sack, resort to a retail price whereby charcoal is sold in small tins in individual houses at a price of between Tsh. 800/- and Shs. 1,000/- per tin respectively, compared to Shs. 400/- and 500/- sold two years ago. Charcoal traders says that, the skyrocketing of this precious commodity is attributed to low production levels following the recent ban imposed by the government two years ago on wanton felling of trees from which charcoal is made in forests.

This is an area close to the main road which has been turned into a charcoal market at Gongo La Mboto suburb on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city. Most charcoal traders (the so-called middlemen) transports their sacks on their bicycles.

Apart from this, the increase has also been exacerbated by the currently torrential rains which have began to set in, thus rendering the transportation of charcoal sacks from the forests to become difficult. Forest tracks becomes muddy and ultimately rendered impassable, says Ramadhani Msewa a charcoal seller. A spot check at various designated markets selling charcoal within the city’s suburbs shows that, customers who buys this commodity have complained over the high prices and thereby asking the government to reduce measures it has imposed for most of them depends largely on the use of charcoal as a source of fuel in their homes.

A customer negotiates with a charcoal seller at Gongo La Mboto roadside market.

Hashim Karim a resident of Kiwalani says that, he has to leave Shs. 2,000/- everyday for his wife to buy two tins of charcoal to let her cook the whole day’s meals for his family. Hashim who works as a casual labourer encounters a lot of family problems owing to his minimal wage that is not enough to cater for the daily needs. Despite of the fact that charcoal price is high, on the other way round, charcoal traders, the so-called the middlemen of this business are complaining the way district authorities from the forest department treats them while transporting their sacks for sale to the designated markets in the city Salehe Rashid, a resident of Gongo la Mboto said in an interview recently that, the authorities from forest department of Kisarawe district do charge them a levy amounting to Tsh. 4,000/- for every sack, no matter how many sacks one might be transporting. High levies charged by the district authorities is another compelling problem facing us” he said adding that, this also might have contributed to the rise of the charcoal. According to Salehe who uses his bicycle to transport two sacks for a trip to the market, each sack he carries is charged without knowing the profit he gats from each one of them and after selling he virtually earns a minimal of Tshs. 3,000/- profit for every sack he manage to sell. Statistics shows that, the proportion of people using solid fuels like firewood and charcoal on the main land Tanzania rose from 9-0 percent in 2000 to 94 percent in 2005. The figures also reveals that in Zanzibar, this proportion currently stands at 96 percent.

Piles of sacks are being sold depending on their sizes, sometimes these are sold in retail price at a roadside market place.

Two women who are perplexed after having been told of the current charcoal price by charcoal sellers when they visited a roadside market with intention top buy the commodity.

Other statistical figures have it that more than 46 million cubic meters of fuel wood are required annually on the mainland alone. This does not only reflect the annual loss of forest cover with imminent effects on the environment, but also illustrates the importance that should be accorded to measures targeting the conservation of forest cover which constitutes more than 50 percent of the land surface. What matters is what can be done in order to increase the awareness of the alternative energy sources to forest depletion. Tanzania is currently implementing its policies and plans on how tom save its natural vegetation eg forest. According to one an environmentalist, to reduce further losses, he has urged that the private sector institutions should be more willing to keep their corporate doors open to any initiative aimed at reducing firewood and charcoal demands furthermore to reverse the loss of environmental. Resources. Biomass energy resources accounts for 93 percent pf the total energy consumption. Fuel-wood alone is estimated to account for 97 percent of all fuel consumption and 92 percent of all country’s source of energy.

NEW ADVERTISING STYLE IN DAR

There is a growing tendency formed by some companies to glue the photos depicting their activities as a sign of advertising in a bid to announce their businesses. These occurs in walls or in a fence placed to surround a perimeter in which a construction work takes place as can be seen here, the photos of a newly established graphic designing company which has advertised itself in a wall surround the perimeter of a building under construction. This is the headquarter building of the ZAIN company, a mobile phone operating company under construction at a junction road of Bagamoyo and Kawawa main roads in a famous place known as Morocco in Dar es Salaam.

This is a new style of advertising which has emerged in Dar es Salaam city. It commonly takes place in areas where construction takes place.

This is ac construction site with a sign board that shows the names of the construction companies involved in the project as it’s strategically placed in front as per the CRB rules. Its perimeter is surrounded by a painted iron sheets and a ZAIN kind of an advert seem to have dominated on its side.

This is also another fenced wall painted with different colours and the logo for Tigo, that’s a mobile operating company is drawn on its sides. The scene is at the junction of Sum-Nujoma and Mlimani road in Dar es Salaam.

A cyclist peddling past a painted wall having the logo of Tigo written on its side. Most buildings within the city have been painted in this manner.

Samsung adverts on the walls at Kisutu in central business district in downtown Dar es Salaam.

Two cars speeding along Bibi Titi Mohamed Road at Kariakoo area near the shinning Samsung company’s adverts that shows new types of mobile phones currently manufactured by the company.

A woman police directing traffic on side of the road to avoid congestion at Magomeni traffic lights. But the exercise has never been so helpful during peak hours in the morning and evening time largely due to a great number of vehicles currently running on old city roads which have never been improved since independence time.

Used motor vehicle spare parts is a choice of many fleet owners

MOTOR vehicle service industry in Tanzania has flourished following the liberalization of the sector almost two decades ago. With many imported cars currently flocking Tanzania market, the sale of used motor Spare-parts in cities and in big towns in the country is booming. With the rising cost of genuine vehicle spare parts which at present are mainly of the Ex-Japanese car models which accounts for the majority of vehicles mostly plying the Tanzanian roads, in spite of this, vehicle owners tend to buy the already used spare parts as their choice for their vehicles for they are easily available. A spot check carried out in most shops selling used spare parts in the city of Dar es Salaam recently shows that, many commercial and individual motorists tend to buy the fairly priced imported used spare-parts for their vehicles rather than the genuine ones which costs high. Fleet owners with small vehicles as well as big ones are becoming very popular about the source of their vehicle accessories and other auxiliaries, as genuine parts pricing could be a major factor an aspect that have paved the way for the used spare parts to dominate the market.
According to dealers of the materials, it’s evident that used spare parts from other countries unlike Japan like India, China, Singapore, Taiwan and any other far East countries where they are manufactured under license are readily available and affordable.
Auto-parts dealers could be said to have successfully played the balancing game of offering cost-effective rates to would be their customers while selling the already used motor spare-parts. Unlike before, the service sector lacked the necessary parts for the running vehicles.

Old spare parts tyres on sale at a shop in Magomeni, in Dar es Salaam city. Second hand spare parts have become a great choice for many fleet owners.

But now it has become under such close and intense scrutiny, time is rapidly changing and the situation where providers have to set standards while consumers accept whatever is offered to public users. Dar es Salaam now is a source of a variety of second hand Auto-parts in the region since the liberalization of the sector with extra advantage of being the region’s main port where most of the parts are first landed. Dealers stock their spares for different models of Japanese vehicles ranging from 3 tones to heavy commercial vehicles. Many of these dealers can be found around Kariakoo areas and within the city’s central business district. They import and sells their accessories in retail prices of different types. With these spare parts, they are sure that their clients gets proper after sales services For any individual or firm in the transport business, the purchase of a new heavy truck is a big investment. This is so not only because the initial capital outlay is enormous, but because repairs and maintenance costs could be a major item on one’s recurrent budget. Indeed one of the major factors an individual or firm purchasing a heavy truck should always consider is the availability of spares and maintenance facilities, says Abdalah Nassor a transporter who owns a commuter bus in the city of Dar es Salaam.
In a situation such as is found in Tanzania and even in the whole of East Africa, where roads are poor and breakdowns are common, the availability of these motor spare parts and maintenance facilities cannot be overemphasized. This is because despite the bad operating conditions, a truck which is basically a commercial vehicle has to traverse long distances in such away as to retain a profit for its owner and preserve the integrity of the cargo for the client. Motor vehicle spare parts needs regular check-ups especially those on the part of an engine area. These are the most important ones because it’s where the highest danger of damages lies. Other than the engine, another spare part which should receive regular attention as far as lubrication is concerned is the gearbox. Other than the mechanical parts other motor spare parts which are old that need regular servicing and maintenance include the electrical and the breaking system, says James Maneno, a famous mechanical engineer in the city. Since most importers are also involved in the business of packing, shipment, clearing and forwarding transportation, they have at their disposal a large variety of skilled manpower leading to quick shipment and clearing of goods from Dar es Salaam port. According to one shopkeeper who spoke of strict condition of anonymity, the business is overshadowed following the mushrooming of many shops in the city. He says they have to order their spare parts for sale directly from Japan and Dubai Oman.

Construction of Kigamboni Bridge set for next year

PLANS to construct a multi billion worth of a 0.5 kilometer bridge across the Magogoni creek in Dar es Salaam which was signed four years ago between the government and National Social Security Fund (NSSF), is yet to start as the government is currently finalizing some technical procedures. In view of this fact, residents of Kigamboni suburb off the city of Dar es Salaam who had been anxiously waiting for the execution of the project, will have to draw a patience for a while despite of the promise by the government that it would construct a bridge linking them with the city center as the preparations on the construction are still under discussions.
The long-awaited and much-talked about the proposed bridge has stalled in the wake of transport crisis currently facing residents in the areas as NSSF the financier was waiting for the modalities about the project to be finalized by the government, an official from NSSF said last week in Dar es Salaam. NSSF’s Director of Planning investment and projects Mr. Yacoub .M. Kidula told in an exclusive interview that the project planned to be implemented under Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements is still in the planning stage. However, he added that once the process is concluded, his organization would organize to get a strategic partner to execute the job, and already the firm has received over thirty applicants who would be scrutinized afterwards to get one fit for the job.
”The Fund was in the process of getting a strategic investor to partner with it in executing the project”, he said echoing a pledge made several times in recent years. However, he refuted the allegations published in one of the daily newspapers in the country that NSSF has pulled out of this project. He said, the project is still at its infancy stage of preparations that is too early to talk about, he cautioned that, it’s the government who have to speak on its behalf at this time for it’s their property. He stressed a point that NSSF are coordinators. When contacted for further clarification, an unanonymous government official from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development said, “the government has already commissioned experts to conduct feasibility study on the project, after which the contractor would be appointed to start construction works probably by May next year. He said the process is cumbersome and needs more time to accomplish that task which together with other things requires care and techniques which has to be applied from the engineering point of view. The bridge, to be built across the Kurasini creek, will link metropolitan Dar es Salaam to the Kigamboni suburb, whose residents have endured serious transport problems for decades since independence.
Most currently the transport in between depend on the off and on services of two dilapidated pontoons - MV Alina and MV Kigamboni in order to cross the creek. Smaller vessels usually chip in when the pontoons are grounded, with safety far from guaranteed. A cross section of Dar es Salaam businessmen trading at Magogoni fish market had something to say about the project when contacted for comments, with most of them putting on criticism saying that the government was to blame for shelving the project for years, calling for a time-frame to guide the implementation. Some of them recalled the signing event as meaningless when NSSF signed an agreement with the Ministry of Works in Dar es Salaam since 2004 to undertake a feasibility study for the construction of the bridge. The ceremony was also attended by the then Minister for Works, Hon. John Pombe Magufuli.
According to the agreement signed by the NSSF Managing Director, Dr. Ramadhan Dau, and the Permanent Secretary of the then Ministry of Works, Engineer John Kijazi, NSSF would have six months to complete the study and forward their recommendations to the government prior to the start of the work. But to the great dismay, speaking in a pensive mood most residents of Kigamboni suburb and its environs are astonished by the way the government is handling the issue which it seems to have repudiated it. Rashidi Ntomoko, a famous businessman in the city who resides at Mji Mwema within Kigamboni suburb said “Kigamboni is the only place with good open space for business”. He is appealing to the government to hurry up with the project so as to get an easy movements with the business activities in the area. Apart from business activities, he added that investing on the bridge was also aimed at improving environment for settlement in the area. Way back in mid 1970s, the government conducted a feasibility study and detailed engineering design for the bridge in 1977 under the financial support of the African Development Bank. The construction cost was estimated at 28.6m US dollars at that time and the bridge was to be 560m long with 14 span of 40m each. The bridge would have 14.5 wide deck and two-lane carriageway of 3.75m. According to a recent parliamentary debate sessions, the government said that it had already paid a total of 2.5bn/- in compensation to people who will have to give way to the construction of the Kigamboni Bridge in Dar es Salaam.

Real Estate development on the outskirts of Dar city takes a new turn

TANZANIA is now catching up with the development of real estate. The housing development schemes have to a greater extent contributed to the development of the country’s economy with the city of Dar es Salaam taking the lead in the sector. This follows the provision of plots which were recently distributed and sold to the people in planned areas which covers about 20,000 hectares of land set apart on the outskirts of the city.

THE City of Dar es Salaam is growing with high rise buildings being constructed in a more magnificent scale, like this one here at the junction of Morogoro Road and Bibi Titi Mohammed. This shows that Real Estate industry is growing up rapidly in the country. With its escalating number of both commercial and residential flats, the sector has shown up a boom.

Unlike before, the sector in the country was not picking up. According to real estate agents, the national policy of land annexation is a great impediment to the development of this industry to some parts in the country. Stakeholders have been asking the government to make the availability of land with ease without tough conditions so as to develop the sector even in rural areas.

Dar es Salaam city is rapidly changing with the newly built structures coming up in a more magnificent scale. This shows that, the real estate industry in the country is booming. With its escalating number of both commercial and residential flats, the sector has shown up a boom.

Among the major key players in the on-going real estate boom in the city and even in up-country regions is turning out to be none other than the Tanzania Building Agency (TBA) which is currently constructing houses for government staff in the country. Above is one of the blocks owned by the agency in Kinondoni district, in Dar es Salaam region.

A modern house built at Bunju village about 32 kilometers away from the city of Dar es Salaam. The recent provision of land space to the people by the Ministry of Lands and Human Settlements in reserve areas is a one step forward that ensures the development of human settlements which is gaining a momentum with the construction of new residential modern buildings like this one here in the above photo.

Salasala is one of the newly developed areas on the outskirts of the Dar es Salaam city, the area is booming in real estate development following the construction of a tarmac road across the hilly areas which is now being inhabited by people. To get a plot, one has to pay between USD 50,000 and 80,000 depending on the size of the plot itself.

Solar energy power is more expensive-Survey

SOLAR power, an alternative source of energy for dwellers of rural areas where conversional electricity is still a dream, is more expensive and way beyond the reach of the poor. Despite of the emergence of the registered solar energy power supplying companies which operates their businesses in the country, the survey has established that, the acquisition of the services given by these companies to rural people is more expensive. Judging from the price quotations of the solar panels given by some of these companies, the survey can reveal that, only few rural Tanzanians who can afford this precious commodity introduced by these companies including their installation charges. Solar energy power which is largely used by people in rural areas where other power alternatives such as the electricity is rarely available, is less available in rural areas whose large population is still subjected by poverty, and only few people who can manage the sale due to their expensiveness. The survey shows that, the sale of solar panels which differ in terms of bigness, quality and even durability are relatively fetched at a high rate price an aspect that a large population of the people who relies on one US dollar per day, and to whom the energy is specifically targeted cannot afford. Solar panels sold by reliable companies to their clients are much more higher than what an ordinary man in rural area can manage to buy. A recent spot check to a range of price quotations to solar panels varies from the minimal price of Tshs. 350,000/- to the highest Tshs. 1.9 million.

Solar panels are more expensive for trhe rural dwellers to afford.
According to an installation system of solar panels initiated by a Dar es Salaam based Rex Investment Limited, an old solar energy contractor in the country, the systems that allows the use of 3 solar lights which is the minimal in use, is made affordable at Tshs. 323,000/- followed by Tshs. 541,000/- if installed in a residential house and is only able to accommodate 4 solar lights plus a radio set. The mid price charged for the installation of 5 solar lights plus a radio set is affordable at Tshs. 802,600/- while the highest installation system charged for use of 6 solar lights, a 14 inch Television set, plus a radio set is made affordable at Tshs. 1.9 million. “This is too much and unaffordable to people in rural areas” exclaimed one Zephania Nyangweso when he was shown a price quotation form that included the installation charges for Rex Investment company at their pavilion during a National day for solar power energy celebrations held at Mnazi-Mmoja grounds recently in Dar es Salaam. Another solar energy power supplying company whose prices are a little bit higher but can be afforded by few ordinary people is Ensol (T) Ltd. The company has introduced four different price quotations on systems of installation charges for their solar energy power to their clients in residential houses. According to the company’s prices as indicated on their sheet quotation, a copy of which is made available to Business Times, shows that, they have a minimal installation charges of Tshs. 702,000/- used to light 4 solar lights plus a radio set, and the extra power to enable charging a cell phone.

Many people including rural dwellers in Tanzania are preferring more the use of charcoal as the source of fuel than solar energy which is so expensive that most Tanzanians living in rural areas cannot afford it. A charcoal trader taking his sacks on a bicycle to a nearby market.

The highest is a system of lighting 6 solar lights, a Television set, a radio set and still the amount of extra power is remaining for charging a cell phone. This is sold at Tshs. 1.4 million. The middle prices that differs in number of solar lights is fetched at between Tshs. 1.1 million and Tshs. 1.2 million respectively. All the amount are inclusive with installation charges. When required to comment on these highly quoted prices, an official of the company who preferred anonymity said that, the imported solar energy gadgets eg panels which differs in sizes are costly. This is accounted by the cost of their importation that’s inclusive with the government tax charged plus high customs duties charged for entry. Solar panel is a device that converts sunlight energy into electric current. A panel could either be amorphous or crystalline which is a more efficient material, therefore slightly differ in physical size and a higher cost. According to Mr. David .G. Mwangi, Sales Engineer of Phocos Limited one of the largest suppliers of off-grid power supply components in the world with branch offices in Tanzania and East Africa region as a whole, panels are available in different sizes ranging from 4 Watts to 130 Watts.

No problem with mobile phone towers - expert

A World Health Organization expert recently ruled out claims that mobile phone communication towers posed health hazards, ending fear that the towers were endangering people’s health. The debate on the safety of the towers, particularly those erected in residential areas, ensued following assertions that they emitted violent rays, which were posing a major risk to thousands of people, especially in urban areas. “We have evaluated myriad research done all over the world-but so far we are of the view that mobile telephone towers do not pose any health risk” WHO scientist, Dr Emilie Van Deventer, said recently in Arusha during the first East Africa workshop on Electro Magnetic Fields Exposure and Health which was organized by the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission and Mobile Manufacturers Forum. Dr Deventer is the head of Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF) Project under WHO. Recent surveys, shows that radio frequency (RF) exposures from tower base stations ranged from 0.002 to 2 percent of the levels of international exposures guidelines, depending on a variety of factors such as proximity to the antenna and the surrounding environment. Scientifically, this is lower compared to RF exposures from radio or television broadcast transmitters.

A mobile phone telephone tower in Kijitonyama in Dar es Salaam.

According to Dr. Deventer the RF exposures from radio and television broadcast transmitters was five times more than the mobile phone towers. Considering the very low exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects. With regard to cellular usage, WHO had undertaken a comprehensive laboratory research on animals, but it didn’t seem to have health effects. On human beings, the expert notes that, WHO has looked back 15 years since mobile phones hit the market in many parts of the world. In the short term, it doesn’t seem to have any health hazards.

A Vodacom tower in a residential area. Their presence has been discovered to have caused no any health hazards to human beings.

In a long-term, she said, the WHO had found no direct link between the usage of cellular phones and brain cancer when it was less than 15 years of using the mobile phone as it had been widely speculated. Beyond that, WHO does not know yet because the mobile technology is not old beyond that time, Dr. Deventer said, stressing that the technology transformation from analog to digital also complicated the issue even further. In a separate interview, the Mobile Manufacturers Forum Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Thomas Barmuller said that none of the recent reviews had concluded that exposure to the RF fields from mobile phones or their base stations caused any adverse health consequence.

A local garage that is operating near a mobile telephone tower in mikocheni in Dar es salaam.

However, according to the Director of Science and Technology, Prof. Evelyn Mbede he contradicted the WHO level of RF exposures from mobile phones base stations, saying in Tanzania the maximum RF exposure level stood at 0.05 percent of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) values. Prof. Mbede quoted the survey conducted by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission, the University of Dar es Salaam and the Zanzibar broadcasting cooperation on the level of Radio frequency radiation. The preliminary findings showed that people living in the locality of mobile phones base stations were exposed to a maximum radiation dose of 0.05 percent of the ICNIRP values, Professor. Mbede said adding that since these telecommunications towers were installed in the absence of legislation and regulations, these findings call for more confirmatory studies using the state-of-the art frequency analyzer equipment. In Tanzania, the use of mobile phones had increased considerably in recent years and the devices had come to be seen as an essential means of communication in commerce and society. There are now over 9.3 million mobile phones in use in Tanzania supported by over 2000 base stations.

Pre-Test counseling may help reduce stress

DIELLO is a little child of about eight years old who is still under the care of his parents who are living at Kipunguni “B” at Ukonga ward, Ilala district in Dar es Salaam region. The little Diello has not yet started school owing to an illness under which he is suffering from the persistent skin rashes accompanied by long fever. The two diseases have been troubling and have never given him a relief since his child birth. Without knowing the natural cause of the diseases, his parents who are the born again Christians have been praying to the lord God to help them and their son for the spiritual belief they have and rarely have been attending clinics for proper medical treatment. The child’s health has been deteriorating causing him have a stunted growth despite of his parents’ efforts to let him recover. With his stunted growth, the little Diello appear so old than his normal age. If one take a glimpse on his physical appearance, you might think he is suffering from a malnutrition. Wherever he sits around he looks so unhappy among his playmates. Sympathetic neighbours have been trying to give formal advices to find out what was amiss with this child but in vain, this follows his parents’ insistence of help from the God.
One day his father who works in Zanzibar as a security guard in one of the resorts hotels changed his mind and became so scared with his son’s health and sought for more advices from medical practitioners over the plight of his son who for long time had been using various types of medications without successes.
Jacob Msumi, the real name of Diello’s father decided to consult medical professionals over the issue for assistance and held a private conversation with a special trained medical personnel in one of the medical clinics based in the city, thereby he was counseled. A patient normally receives a face-to-face counseling before they undergo the normal body test. This is known as Pre-test counseling and is aimed at ensuring that one make a well informed decision about whether to have the HIV/AIDS test or not. It then encourages one to explore the possible impact that having the test may have on one’s life.
Voluntary Counseling and Testing, or in short VCT is when a person chooses to undergo HIV/AIDS counseling so that they can make an informed decision about whether to be tested for HIV. Through this test, people becomes aware of their health status and thereby reduces long stress within themselves.

Tanzania’s government is encouraging all of us to come forward to be tested for HIV. The government believes that if many of us get tested, even though we may not be sick, this will help to lessen the amount of stigma associated with the HIV test. Also, if we find out as an earlier stage, that we are infected with HIV.
HIV/AIDS counseling provided at most VCT centers in the country is free and confidential. This means that the counselor cannot tell anyone about the results of an infected person without his or her permission. When the little Diello was tested and later found to have been affected by HIV/AIDS virus, fear reigned within his father and contemplated for a while knowing that such infection must have had been transferred from his mother when she was pregnant. The fact that we're able to prevent mother-to-child transmission, these expectant mothers or new mothers, and even other parents with small children, who may be positive and whose children are not positive, they are going to live longer with the use of anti-retroviral drugs. As HIV virus are always dominant over blood cells found in human bodies, their reaction kills the cells, a result of which the body is no longer in a position to defend itself against any disease attack, thus this is the reason why the little Diello was not getting a cure. On-going counseling helps one to live positively with HIV and provides one with support and guidance in regard to any problem that one may face. However, this kind of counseling that happens after one has received a test result, its aim is to manage the impact that HIV has on one’s life. Other factors are to explore the advantages and disadvantages of telling other people about their status, provide emotional and psychological support and explore issues around death and dying. Getting information on how to live positively with the virus is the same as learning to accept the fact that we are HIV-infected. The infected people have to seek for emotional support, eating a health diet as well as learning how to control the amount of stress in their life and plan for the future. According to Dr. Wilfred Machibya based in Dar es Salaam city voluntary testing can work, particularly now that anti-retroviral drugs are becoming affordable in more developing nations. These life-extending drugs have long been available in rich countries like UK and in the U.S.A

For the infected patients like Anna Ditaro, who's been on ARV drugs for a year, say HIV infection is no longer a death sentence. And she says as priests and political leaders set the example by taking the test, AIDS is beginning to carry far less stigma. The U.S. based Agency for International Development (USAID) supports HIV negative and HIV positive persons to create personalized plans to reduce their risky behavior through its long-standing VCT programs in sub-Saharan Africa Tanzania included. In USAID activities have established testing sites, trained and supported counselors, and promoted community outreach around VCT to enhance community acceptance of HIV/AIDS activities. Currently, USAID supports VCT programs in more than 25 countries. USAID is committed to preventing the transmission of HIV from a mother to her baby. HIV testing and counseling for pregnant women and their families is a critical step in this process. As part of President Bush’s International Mother and Child HIV Prevention initiative, USAID will continue to expand programs to prevent transmission from a mother to her baby.

Lack of finance hinders the progress of a national agency

THE National agency that is primarily engaged in conducting and researching on appropriate building materials for low cost housing development schemes in the country is faced with insufficient money to enable it to consolidate on its basic activities. This is the National Housing and Building Research Agency (NHBRA) which was formed in 2001. The agency is among the national agencies established in the country under the Executive Act of Agency No: 30 passed by the National parliament in 1997. Due to the persisting situation, the agency’s core business activities that includes together with others, to develop simple production techniques and technologies for low cost building materials has been slowing down an aspect that it fails to meet its targeted goals. Because of this, the agency is staggering to effectively execute the normal duties it’s charged with in light of development of the construction industry in the country, the firm’s Chief Executive Dr. G.M. Kawishe said in an interview recently in Dar es Salaam. Dr. Kawishe who is an engineer by profession said, apart from lack of enough fund to run with the activities, the Agency has been facing some of the challenges from making her services known to the public, citing lack of seriousness despite of stressing awareness on the part of customers about the products and various services the agency offers.
He said, his agency is seriously faced with the shortage of skilled personnel mostly civil and building engineers adding that the few available are not enough to carry out the impending duties assigned such like, testing of building materials and structures including quality control in the laboratory and site investigations. Another thing he said, the agency is still using an outdated laboratory which it had inherited from the then Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development for which the agency before its formation was known as a Building Research Unit. The laboratory had been there since 1975 and needs replacement in order to match parallel with the currently emerging technologies. However, he noted that the status of the laboratory does not match with the modern technology. Price fluctuation of building materials eg cement is another factor which has hindered the development of the agency. When contacted for comment, an official from the Ministry of Finance and Economic planning who spoke on strict condition of anonymity said that, the government allocates funds for its agencies each year depending on the nature of the work in pipeline. However, he said these projects are given priority in terms of their urgency that is determined by the requirement of the people in the country, but declined to say anything when asked to comment on NHBRA’s issue. Apart from ensuring low-cost housing materials, NHBRA provides advice and promotes appropriate building materials, techniques and technologies in order to achieve the durability, the standards of hygiene, the comfort and conveniences of the houses. The current functions of NHBRA are in line with the National Human Settlement Development Policy of 2000 and Habitat Agenda of 1997. The agency targets Tanzania’s development set ups and cope with various initiatives of the poverty alleviation strategies for 2025 vision. In doing this, NHBRA has set strategies for business options and plans which will improve provision of services to customers in order to be effective, efficient and timely.

Absence of traffic police at a road junction is a nuisance to motorists

Sometimes traffic police are to blame, their absence in most junction points in most Dar es Salaam city roads has resulted into a frequent motor accidents, and most of all notorious is traffic jam, forcing motorists to negotiate their way through as this photo depicts a situation at a junction of Azikiwe and Bibi Titi Mohamed in downtown Dar es Salaam.

A similar incident occurred at the junction of Kawawa and Nyerere Road recently. These two motor cyclists gets into difficulty while trying to find their way through. They are struggling to overtake and if possible get through, but are seen to have been abstracted by a pick-up car and a canter. This is very dangerous. Road accidents in the city of Dar es Salaam have become numerous due primarily to a large number of vehicles on the roads.

A traffic police standing on the right in a move to stop the speeding vehicles from one side, while the other one is on the left who seems to be a woman traffic police also in the same mission. This is at a point of a junction road going to Julius Nyerere International Airport terminal one in Dar es Salaam. The deployment of these two traffic police officers is for security reasons whenever there is a Presidential mortgage or a visiting head of State in the country. In the middle is seen a police car coming from the airport ushering the procession of the highly profile figures is about to pass through. Burt many people including motorists on the road have claimed over the move saying that, are made to stand on the road for long tome almost half an hour. What is if an ambulance was on its way carrying a patient such as a woman who with a labour pain who is being rushed to the hospital for delivery of a baby who probably might become a President, and suddenly should the ambulance come into contact with this delay and caused the death of a patient” Is it right for such ambulances to be subjected to abide by this rule?

Commuters are now enjoying at a bus stand while waiting for town buses popularly known as Daladala to board in. They are now sure of their safety following the construction of the balustrade pipes that allows them to stand against. This was a dangerous place before the placement of these pipes as one could easily fall down the trench through which dirty waters from a nearby residential quarter passes. Unlike before this area was a dangerous place for commuters as it had no facilities like a booth which could help passengers. You can see people have leaned against while waiting for the transport. This is at Sinza Afrika Sana area in Mwenge, Dar es Salaam.

Home made commodities have flocked Tanzania’s local market, traders sometimes takes the opportunity to display their products in an open roadside promotion as this photo depicts. Various home appliances have been put for sale along New Bagamoyo Road opposite New Millennium Tower building. The presence of these products is so dangerous as motorists are speeding along the road as my digital camera recently captured them. According to one eye-witness, the business is usual despite the ban

Billboards are scattered all over especially along the Highways within the city as I captured the presence of these billboards advertisements while I was traveling along Kawawa Road in my normal daily activities. This is on a slope as I was going to Magomeni suburb in the city.
A bill board near Tanzania oxygen limited along Nyerere road in Dar es Salaam