PRESIDENT Dr. Jakaya Kikwete has directed Dar es Salaam city mayors and their executives to properly realign and name the streets within their suburbs so as to pave an easy way for the postcode project which is to start soon in Dar es Salaam region. The President issued the order one month ago in Dar es Salaam during the inauguration ceremony of the newly introduced individual addresses and postcode numbers, the new project to be carried out and coordinated by the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA). “I want you to implement this exercise as part of your obligation by naming streets which are within the city and your municipalities without any costs as these would help to facilitate the project” he said amid applaud. The President is surprised after having learned that, most suburbs within Dar es Salaam city and even on the outskirts of it do not have names. He remarked at a point that, he ever bought a plot at Tegeta in 1988 and up to now, to his dismay, he is perplexed to have not known the name of a street on which his plot is located. However, in view of this, he has insisted the allocations of such names so as to identify easily which types of a street is this one so that, the postcode project would also get a way through without resistance once it starts operating. He has also insisted that, since it’s a new project in the eyes of many Tanzanians, he has also asked the coordinators to give education on its importance to the general public as it is a sustainable and expect to move countrywide. Detailing the importance of the project, he noted that, it would help to know exactly the location of the people as well as their residences in their suburbs, and that their details would be included among those while applying for the National Identification Cards.
President Jakaya Kikwete receives the first postcode issued by Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) for the State House in Dar es Salaam with number one as indicated along Ocean Road, Dar es Salaam city whose postcode No. is 11400 as shown. Above the Minister for Lands and Human Settlements Professor Anna Tibaijuka handing over the postcode to him.
He said postcode is being implemented by his government in a quest to meet international standards of identifying places using advanced technologies. However, he noted that, this is as per the electronic and postal communication Act No. 3 of 2010 and its regulations which are formulated in 2011 which tasks TCRA in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology to implement the project. He necessitated that, the naming of the street is one way to facilitate the project’s activities to the fullest as the project is vital in boosting the city as a tourist destination centre as well as business activities. Meanwhile, the President has congratulated the Minister for Lands and Human Settlements Professor Anna Tibaijuka for her appointment for being a special envoy for the postcode in Africa by World Postal Union. Responding President’s directive order, the Dar es Salaam city Mayor Dr. Didas Masaburi has assured him to supervise the work to be implemented by his juniors who are the three municipal mayors, and that the work will be collaborated by the stakeholders. He said that, about 70 percent of all city dwellers are located in unplanned settlements, the areas which he presumed would encounter the big challenges in order to ensure the success of the project. But nevertheless, he has however promised to work tirelessly to ward off any possible remedies. “We will have to use various methods and means in order to ensure the success of the project to both planned and unplanned areas, but I believe all houses will be accessible through postcodes” he said in an exclusive interview when contacted by this paper for clarification on how he is going to work on President’s directives. However, he said he will form various committees and assign them special duties to deal with the issue in various respective areas for development, and these will be executed in close supervision with the stakeholders. In addition to that, he has promised to provide security in all streets within the intended suburbs. According to the TCRA’s Director General Prpfessor John Nkoma, his authority has changed Tanzanian localities which have been mapped out in readiness for the postcode project that will soon begin with assigning proper addresses to Dar es Salaam City residents. Upon the completion of the project, the regulatory body has assured, every Tanzanian will be in a position to have his or her letters, parcels and all manner of communication that comes by post delivered at his/her doorstep. That would be a big step forward, given that presently, Tanzania, with close to 45 million people, has only 173,000 post office boxes! Even if one box were to serve a hundred individuals, millions would still remain without an “address” – that is, if a postal box qualifies to be so-called. He says that, the postcodes in Dar es Salaam will help many tourists to visit tourist attractions, but for long time it was too difficulty for the Ministry of Tourism to market bits potentials for lack of postcodes. But now the business will be much easier.
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