Africa-Press – Tanzania. ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi on Tuesday directed investors to ensure that their projects’ implementations benefit people surrounding them.
Dr Mwinyi issued the directive separately during his tour of North Unguja region, where he laid the foundation stone for the modern tourist Riu Jambo Hotel in Nungwi and Emerald Zanzibar Resort and SPA at Matemwe Mbuyuni in the region.
The president made the tour as part of scheduled activities to celebrate one year of his presidency, since he took oath of office on 2nd November, 2020.
Equally, President Mwinyi insisted on the need for all the investment projects to benefit the citizens in terms of creating for them jobs and markets for their farm produce.
Elaborating, he instructed the district and regional leaders to devise special arrangements, which would ensure the residents easily, have access to the markets provided by the projects and sell their produce with ease.
Dr Mwinyi explained further that there is a need for investors to understand the challenges facing the surrounding communities especially in education, health and water and chip in to address them.
He said Zanzibar has colleges capable of offering different trainings, citing Maruhubi Tourism College in the Island.
After laying the foundation stone at Matemwe Mbuyuni, President Mwinyi addressed the residents, and reminded them on the importance of ‘owning’ the tourism sector, adding that it’s a key economic area that the country relies on for social and economic development.
He added: “May I ask you (citizens) to get ready and work…unfortunately, there are so many youth who are not ready to work, yet the government is collaborating and providing all the necessary environments.”
In response, some Riu Jambo investors whose project started work in January, this year assured the fishermen of ready market for their products.
The hotel’s project with 468 rooms estimated to cost about 70 million US dollars (over 160bn/-) is expected to be completed by September next year and create more than 400 jobs to the locals.
Meanwhile President Mwinyi laid a foundation stone for the construction of rental apartments: the ‘Blue Ocean Residents’ rental accommodation in Bweleo, and Al-Saadi in Mbweni in the outskirts of Zanzibar City with a call for more investors in the country.
“We need and welcome investors in various projects in the country to support our economic growth,” Dr Mwinyi said, noting that the projects will create more jobs to the youth.
He said the time has come for the government to establish new cities with modern living houses instead of the old ones such as Kilimani blocks, which are completely dilapidated, adding that the private sector is welcome in the projects.
On his part, Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA) Executive Director, Sharrif Ali Shariff said the authority would continue working with the investors to enable them realize their goals.
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