Tanzania and Egypt agree on bilateral cooperation

A highly organized meeting of officials at the 3rd Egyptian-Tanzanian Joint Commission for Cooperation has agreed to set up a review mechanism to monitor and evaluate periodically, the existing bilateral cooperation between their countries. In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the officials as well agreed to explore new areas of cooperation where they can tap related mutual benefits. During the discussions, the two sides exchanged views on the means of enhancing cooperation in various fields including trade, investment, maritime transport, agriculture, livestock in addition to energy, water resources management, tourism, health, education and culture. The 3rd Joint Commission for Cooperation was held from January 8 to 10, 2018, where the after the ministerial consultations would follow of senior officials and experts’ this year in Cairo, Egypt. The Tanzanian delegation was led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Augustine Mahiga, while the Egyptian team was led by their country’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Sameh Shoukry. In the meeting, both sides underlined the importance of the visit by the President of Egypt, Mr Abdel Fatah Al Sisi, to Tanzania in August, last year, where he had fruitful discussions with President John Magufuli of Tanzania. During the commission meeting in Cairo, the two sides as well would discuss possible joint investments in agriculture, meat production and pharmaceutical industry and agree on how to encourage further cooperation between their respective business communities and private sectors through promotion of trade missions. 

On the other hand, the meeting witnessed signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism and diplomatic training. They further agreed to effectively implement all agreements that have been concluded by the two countries, and finalise the pending draft agreements for cooperation in different fields at the earliest convenient time. Another issue which was agreed upon at the meeting included the importance of drawing lessons from international best practices on management of trans-boundary water resources to inform the administration of the Nile Basin water resources to ensure it benefits all the riparian states. Both sides expressed the importance of the cooperation among all Nile riparian states in utilizing the river water resources to fulfill development objectives of their people, on the basis of a win-win situation. The next meeting of the joint commission will be held in Tanzania in the year 2020. Equally, the two sides exchanged views on current regional and security issues including the situation in Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic, where they agreed that all burning issues should be resolved amicably through peaceful consultations under the concept of “African Solutions to African problems.”

A referral hospital to be built in Katavi region

In a bid to expand health services and make it more affordable in almost all regions in ther country as per the policy, the  government is expecting to build a referral hospital in Katavi region at a cost of 11bn/-. Already 114 citizens have been compensated for their land and property since 2013 to pave the way for construction of the regional referral facility. However, the Katavi Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Raphael Muhuga, has expressed his dismay after visiting the 243 hectares of land set aside for the construction of the regional referral facility. The area has been invaded by people who are farming. Some people have even passed chunks of land to others for agriculture activities. He was accompanied by members of the regional security and defence team and senior officials. He visited the area which is six kilometres away from Mpanda Town. He said that so far the government has already allocated 1.0bn/- for the initial construction work. Vividly irked by the invasion, the RC cautioned the invaders, saying that once the government disbursed the already allocated over 1bn/- for construction of the facility before June, this year, all maize and oth er food crops growing on the invaded plot of land will be destroyed to pave the way for the construction. Mr Muhuga said that already tenders for the construction of the referral hospital structure have been floated.

Government commissions supply of fertilizer in southern highland regions

Three days after President Magufuli ordered tan even supply of the agricultural fertilizers to the areas with shortage of this commodity, over 2,000 tones of various types of fertilizer are being ferried to southern highland regions of Rukwa, Mbeya, Katavi and Ruvuma respectively. This is as a part of a round-the-clock operation supervised by the Agriculture Minister, Dr Charles Tizeba  in compliance with President Magufuli’s directive. Tomorrow on Friday is the deadline of the directive given by the Head of State on Monday, to address endless complaints by peasants in the southern highlighted regions, over chronic shortage of the commodity lately. The confident minister told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday: “We shall beat the deadline because we have a well supervised operation and we are enjoying cooperation from everyone involved. Since Monday, we have spent days and nights here (at Mohammed Enterprises warehouse in Dar es Salaam) overseeing the loading of fertilisers into trucks we are sending to the regions, our principal focus.” He said as on Monday, Friday is the deadline of the directive given by the Head of State on Monday, to address endless complaints by peasants in the southern highlighted regions, over chronic shortage of the commodity lately. The confident minister told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday: “We shall beat the deadline because we have a well supervised operation and we are enjoying cooperation from everyone involved. Since Monday, we have spent days and nights here (at Mohammed Enterprises warehouse in Dar es Salaam) overseeing the loading of fertilisers into trucks we are sending to the regions, our principal focus.” He said as on Monday,21 trucks carrying over 600 tonnes left for the southern regions and yesterday, 25 others were loaded with over 600 tonnes destined for Sumbawanga (Rukwa) and Makambako (Njombe) regions. Dr Tizeba further explained that yesterday, Tanzania People’s Defence Forces trucks were loaded with 500 tonnes and some 21 Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) trucks as well others of Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL) were availed to ferry 900 tonnes to Mbozi and Mbeya points, for onward trips to the designated destinations. He also reported that by yesterday, Premium Agrochem Ltd had ferried 1000 tonnes of fertiliser to the designated points; part of the 4000 tonnes in their warehouse. The General Manager of Mohammed Enterprises Ltd, Mr Nassir Sood, pledged that they would clear 3000 tonnes in their warehouse within three days, ahead of the president’s deadline. “Our 42 trucks are ferrying fertilisers to Rukwa, Katavi, Ruvuma and Mbeya regions in order to clear the tonnes we have in custody,” he said. Dr Tizeba said he had information that some traders were telling peasants lies, creating artificial shortages of fertilisers. He linked the hoaxes to small traders who ferry goods to Dar es Salaam markets. “These people carry fertilizer from Dar es Salaam to the home regions, sell the commodity to peasants within fixed profit margins and then talk of fertiliser shortages, which is absolutely false,” he said. President Magufuli’s directive on Monday coincided with the swearing in of the Deputy Minister for Minerals, Dr Dotto Biteko, at the State House in Dar es Salaam.

A series of defection from politicians, a move to strengthen national unity

A PROMINENT cadre of the opposition Chadema Party, Muslim Hassanali, has officially decamped to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). The latest ‘defector’ was also a member of the party’s board of trustees, and his decision is seen as a part of a ‘wave’ of ‘prodigal’ politicians reuniting with their ‘parent’ CCM. Though political observers say the move opens a new chapter in the country’s political history, they’re quick to add that the defections were weakening the opposition camp – at same time. Other opposition ‘bigwigs’ who recently relinquished their party membership to rejoin CCM include former Kinondoni MP Maulid Mtulia (CUF), Siha MP, Dr Godwin Mollel and former CHADEMA youth wing Chairman Petrobras Katambi, among others. Mr Hassanali who was also a member of Chadema’s Central Committee (CC) quitted the party for CCM at a meeting held at the Pugu based Checkpoint hall in Dar es Salaam, where he was received by the party’s Deputy Chairman (Mainland), Philip Mangula, among other top CCM leaders. “ have decided to relinquish my party (Chadema) membership and my position as a member of the board of trustees … which I’ve served for 15 years … and I want to assure you that this decision is mine … I’ve not been bought by CCM, advised … or (even) threatened by anyone,’’he told CCM members amid cheers. Mr Hassanali who was among the main sponsors of the opposition party before decamping to the ruling party said that there was widespread notion that if any politician ditched the opposition for CCM, people believed that they had been bought. He added that it was not easy to arrive at his decision, but that he had done so purely on ‘national interest’ after nearly ten years of contemplation – but owned up that he was ‘enticed by the good record of leadership’ on the part of President John Magufuli. Mr Hassanali said he decided to join CCM not because he had been promised any government position, insisting that from yesterday, he would ‘offer himself’ the position of ‘main advisor to Dr Magufuli’ within his newfound party. In his remarks, Mr Mangula commended Mr Hassanali for his bold decision, adding that his party was implementing its manifesto as it pledged during the 2015 election campaigns. He said in the last two years of his presidency, Dr Magufuli had implemented many pledges although there were still more other issues to be tackled as it was difficult to implement all the promises at once. “You have joined a party that is serious on bringing changes in the country at a speedy approach,’’ said Mr Mangula when welcoming a new party member.

Banks and telecom companies put in tension

Alas for those banks and telecom companies operating in the country that will fail to connect themselves to the Kijitonyama based electronic data centre by end of this month, will have their operating licenses revoked without mercy, the government has reliably warned. The directive was issued by the Finance and Planning Minister, Dr Philip Mpango yesterday, when he held talks with banks executives in Dar es Salaam. According to the minister, in 2017, the government enacted the regulations for the Tax Administration Act, 2015, which require all banks and telecommunication companies to connect to the electronic system for payment of tax between June 2017 and December 31, 2017, but until yesterday, only 27 banks had complied with the legal requirement. “I have met almost 20 financial institutions to get to the bottom of why they were failing to implement the legal requirements, and among the reasons that I got was fear of the unknown; that because TRA was able to monitor all the transactions, they could easily be prone to cyber crime” he explained. Other reasons were that because the requirements came abruptly, the banks, especially those with very wide networks, like City Bank which operates in almost 100 countries, needed an emergency and urgent funding, and that they needed to make official communications with the headquarters before effecting the legislation. Because the banks have already violated the law, Dr Mpango ordered the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General to institute appropriate legal actions, including paying penalties for the period over which they didn’t abide by the law.

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr Philip Mpango

The minister commended banks that implemented thelegal requirement within the specified timeframe, including Exim Bank, NMB, Tanzania Postal Bank, Amana Bank, CRDB, China Commercial Bank, Stanbic and Akiba Commercial Bank. The banks that are at good stages, according to Dr Mpango, are I&M, DCB, DTB, Mkombozi Bank and Maendeleo Bank. The banks that risk revocation of licences are Bank of Africa, Yetu Microfinance Bank, Barclays and Mwanga Rural community Bank. In mid December last year, when launching CRDB Bank’s new branch at the LAPF building along Makole Street, Dr Magufuli ordered all commercial banks and telecommunication companies which did not join the Tanzania Communication Corporation (TTCL)’s Data Centre Services to do so before December 31, 2017 or be ready to wind up. “We have given them enough time, this is a last warning, I order responsible government organs to take stern measures against those banks and telecommunication companies that have so far failed to do so before December 31, 2017, including closing down their services,” he said. Dr Magufuli said the new system would enable the government to monitor closely the operations of the said companies, particularly tax collection.