Africa-Press – Tanzania. UNITED Democratic Party (UDP) presidential candidate, Saum Rashid, has pledged to establish a factory in every region of Tanzania if elected, aiming to stimulate economic growth and create employment by harnessing each region’s unique natural resources.
Addressing a campaign rally held recently at Mji Mpya Market in Morogoro Municipality, Ms Saum revealed the party’s vision to drive industrialisation as a key pathway to national development.
She outlined five priority areas in UDP’s election manifesto as improving irrigation infrastructure for agriculture, building region specific industries, strengthening healthcare services, enhancing access to education and expanding clean and safe water supply.
“Morogoro is historically known as an industrial hub. We must revive that legacy to benefit the people. The goal is to open up employment opportunities, raise incomes and grow our national economy,” she said.
“With regional factories, our youths will find jobs, unemployment will drop, markets for agricultural produce will expand and we’ll stop exporting raw materials. Instead, we’ll process and package them locally for better value and quality, both for domestic use and export,” she added.
Ms Saum said that industrial development will reduce economic dependency and empower Tanzanians to thrive financially.
“The UDP government will be grounded in research backed, achievable strategies. We ask for your trust and your votes on October 29th, this year, so we can implement this transformation and uplift all Tanzanians especially the most vulnerable,” she said.
Ms Saum said a UDPled government would also invest in solid infrastructure to make farming a profitable and sustainable economic sector. She promised to allocate designated agricultural zones based on crop viability in each region.
“We know that Morogoro has a strong rice farming potential. We’ll ensure farmers have access to high quality seeds to maximise yields and income,” she said.
She also acknowledged the challenges posed by climate change, noting that erratic rainfall patterns call for a strong focus on irrigation farming.
She promised construction of large water reservoirs and deep wells to ensure year-round access to water.
Ms Saum further pledged to deploy enough agricultural extension officers to work directly with farmers, provide subsidised agricultural inputs and offer low-interest loans to support smallholder farmers.
“Agricultural officers must be on the ground, not just in offices. They need to be available to respond quickly to farmers’ challenges,” she stated.
UDP’s agricultural policy will also incorporate science, technology and ICT, from land preparation to post-harvest stages, to improve efficiency and productivity.
She promised to introduce agricultural insurance to protect farmers against losses caused by climate events or market disruptions.
On healthcare, Ms Saum said her government would build health centres in every ward and roll out a universal health insurance system linked to the National Identification Authority (NIDA) database, so citizens can access services from anywhere.
“We’ll ensure there are enough doctors, nurses and modern health facilities nationwide,” she said.
She also promised free healthcare for pregnant women and children, including full access to medical tests and services.
Meanwhile, Mji Mpya ward councillor candidate, Mr Salum Mwanduke said his priorities, if elected, include ensuring the 10 per cent local government development fund reaches all target groups fairly and without bias, improving infrastructure, expanding access to clean water and promoting environmental hygiene and sanitation.
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