Africa-Press – Tanzania. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Daniel Chongolo, has directed the newly inaugurated Board of Commissioners of the Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission (TCDC) to ensure that special groups are fully engaged in the cooperative sector so they can tap into available economic opportunities.
He issued the directive in Dodoma recently while inaugurating the Board, noting that these groups, mainly women and youth, are already well organised and are accessing 10 percent of loans provided by their respective local government authorities under empowerment initiatives.
The Minister said the groups are currently accessing up to 80bn/ in loans annually and tasked the Board to ensure more women and youth join the cooperative sector.
“Some groups, including bodaboda (motorcycle taxi) riders, have already been formed to tap into economic opportunities. These are cooperatives and should therefore be incorporated into the cooperative sector,” Minister told the Board members.
Mr Chongolo further directed the Board, chaired by Abdulmajid Nsekela, to ensure that cooperative societies are managed professionally and innovatively.
The Minister also tasked the Board with implementing President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directives to cooperative unions, including promoting industrial development, agricultural insurance schemes, and retirement benefits for farmers.
“You should ensure that cooperative societies are audited accordingly and that they adhere to financial accountability and discipline,” insisted the Minister.
Briefing on achievements over the past three years, Mr Nsekela said the previous TCDC Board guided the Commission in identifying cooperative unions’ properties, improving accountability, and registering more unions.
Mr Nsekela commended outgoing Board members for working closely with TCDC management to ensure the establishment of COOP Bank Tanzania, aimed at addressing financial challenges and transforming cooperative societies into commercially viable entities.
On his part, the Commissioner and Chief Executive of TCDC, Dr Benson Ndiege, said the Commission will continue implementing government directives aimed at ensuring positive growth of the cooperative sector.
TCDC was established under the Cooperative Societies Act No. 6 of 2013 and is mandated to regulate and promote the development of the cooperative sector.
Among the Commission’s responsibilities are registering and deregistering cooperative societies, inspecting and supervising cooperatives, maintaining the register of cooperative societies, and resolving disputes and complaints arising within the sector.
