Africa-Press – Tanzania. LONG-TERM partnerships between the government and civil society organisations, community and private sector remains inevitable for successful pursuit of development agenda 2030, it was argued here on Wednesday.
Minister of State in the President’s Office, Finance and Planning, Jamal Kassim Ali, while addressing a one-day multi-sector dialogue on Zanzibar’s Development Agenda, treasured the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and other UN agencies’ strategies in facilitating the multi-stakeholder partnership to deliver on the agenda.
He too described engagement of the private sector as noble in the quest, “Specific development initiatives will benefit from the added value of the private sector input in boosting entrepreneurship and increasing jobs, especially in rural areas where Zanzibar’s poorest populations live.”
Minister Jamal said the Spice Islands still face a myriad of challenges in implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but appreciated the development cooperation that has for many years existed between the government and development partners.
The challenges include limited capacities for coordination and reporting of SDGs, newly developed Zanzibar Development Vision 2050, Zanzibar Development Strategy 2021/2025 and SDGs roadmap. Others are increasing demand for reliable and disaggregated data for informed policy and decision making.
The minister implored all SDGs stakeholders—public and private sectors; non-state actors, local government authorities, academia and media—to join hands in resolving the existing challenges, assuring his support.
“I will do my best to make the government through the Zanzibar Planning Commission more accountable, effective and efficient,” he pledged, reaffirming the government’s commitment to execute the global development agenda 2030 on SDGs.
“There is no doubt that the revolutionary government of Zanzibar, UNDP and implementing agencies are committed to implementation of SDGs and ensuring no one is left behind,” the minister told the conference that had brought together the private sector, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), government agencies and media.
UNDP Zanzibar Coordinator, Rukiya Wadoud reiterated the UN agency’s commitment to collaborate with the isles government and other stakeholders towards implementation of Zanzibar vision 2050 and medium term development strategy and SDGs.
She said UNDP as other UN agencies will continually support the government to realise its development aspirations and improve the lives of the islanders as envisioned in the country’s long and medium-term development strategies.
“UNDP’s response to Zanzibar’s development priorities and challenges is through the broad practice areas of democratic governance, climate change, energy and environment as well as inclusive growth,” said the programme and operations management specialist with the UN agency.
Zanzibar has committed itself to successfully implementing SDGs by attaining the 2030 development agenda. Through different policies and strategic plans on health, education, water, infrastructure ad environment, the country aims at achieving the SDGs by 2030.
