Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango has said the growth of the industrial sector in the country is still slow, calling on the Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) to reflect on the challenges facing the sector.
Dr Mpango said this during the 2021 President’s Manufacturer of the Year Awards (PMAYA) giving ceremony for the best industrial producers in the country, held at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
He said the products produced by local industries in the country are still not meeting market demands and some fail to meet market standards as well, which leads to the continuation of importing manufactured goods from abroad.
For instance, the Vice President mentioned that over 200bn/- was spent to import textile products in 2020, while cotton is produced locally which translates as exporting jobs.
“It is important for CTI in collaboration with the government to use ambassadors representing Tanzania abroad, to find more markets for products produced in the country,” Dr Mpango said.
On the other hand, the Vice-President urged Tanzanians to use locally produced products, in order to uplift and promote local industries as well as creating more jobs for youths in the country. For his part, CTI Chairman Mr Paul Makanza thanked the sixth phase government for quickly resolving the challenges facing the country’s manufacturing sector, including resolving tax wrangles with investors and simplification of obtaining work permits for foreign experts.
Earlier, welcoming the Vice- President, the Minister for Industry and Trade, Prof Kitila Mkumbo said the government is aware of the importance of the energy sector for industrial development.
He said that the government has continued to take various steps to improve the energy sector, which includes ensuring that fuel prices are not rising sharply by eliminating various levies and tariffs.
The event was supported by the German International Development Agency (GIZ) through its business scouts for development programme funded by the German government.
The Programme Coordinator, Mr Eckhard Heine said that the commitment for his programme which ends in 2024, was to support the country’s small scale and medium enterprises with knowledge and skills, to create wealth through improved production.
“We are cooperating with CTI to support businesses here in the areas of packaging for attaining acceptable standards. Proper and hygienic packaging of food processors are part of our support in this sector,” he said.
