AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE management of Kilimanjaro International Leather Industries has said that the late President Dr John Magufuli has left a big gap in Kilimanjaro Region, following his government’s successful facilitation of the establishment of the modern leather industry.
Kilimanjaro International Leather Industries’ Public Relations and Marketing Officer, Mr Frederick Njoka while speaking to reporters, who visited the industries’ premises, located at the Karanga Prison area, in Moshi.
“Before and even after assuming the presidency, Dr Magufuli clearly showed his passion and his full support to the leather sector and when he came to power, he advised the prison administration to improve what was the Karanga Leather Factory leading to the establishment of this state-of-the-art leather industry in Africa”, he said, adding that no wonder that it was Dr Magufuli himself who inaugurated the new company late last year.
“We would like to appeal to all Tanzanians, especially the residents of Kilimanjaro Region, to continue to pray for Dr Magufuli, while at the same time, buy our products, especially when we put into consideration that Dr Magufuli used to urge Tanzanians to love, believe and buy the local manufactured products,”, he said.
Dr Magufuli always reminded Tanzanians that the country ranked second in Africa, after Ethiopia when it came to counting the number of herds of cattle in the continent, a move which he said led to the prison’s department to increase speed in establishing the industry that would add value of leather from the cattle hides in the country.
The Marketing and Sales Manager with the company, Mr Donald Nkomavantu said the institution’s management aimed to expand sales in the local markets, as well as outside the country, focusing the East African Community (EAC) countries, those of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for the Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The Kilimanjaro International Leather Industries that was launched by the late Dr Magufuli in October last year is a new project that has been developed by the Public Service Social Security Fund (PSSSF) in collaboration with the Tanzania Prisons.
PSSSF owns 86 per cent of the company’s shares while Tanzania Prisons owns the rest of the shares by contributing 25 acres of the land hosting the company and industry.
