AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE National Environment Management Council (NEMC) has called on city, municipal and town councils to ensure the environment in their jurisdictions remain safe and clean in order to attract investors.
The NEMC Director General, Samuel Gwamaka said a clean and safe environment is one of the most important considerations for investors.
Investors, he explained, were very mindful of their resources, saying they do not want undue inconveniences or run into avoidable problems and suffer loses.
He reminded on the need for leaders and people to be mindful of that fact too in order to promote economic growth in their areas.
“Local councils are very close to the people and have powers to make by-laws to ensure cleanliness and safe environment for safety and health of the people.
Now that our country has become a middle-income economy, councils must keep their areas clean and friendly to the society in order to attract more investors,” the DG said.
Investments, he said, were necessary because they increase public revenue and generate more jobs.
Dr Gwamaka gave an example of Mbeya City Council as a council that works very closely with NEMC in addressing the emerging challenges and problems.
He said the Environmental Management Act (EMA), 2004 and its regulations acknowledge the importance of the council, especially on the question of collection and sorting waste.
“Waste has to be attended to where it is generated, and this is the role of the councils,” he explained, adding that waste that could be recycled should be sorted out right at the point where it was generated.
Dr Gwamaka gave the example of metal and plastic waste, which he said was needed by local industries.
“The council requests for cooperation from all stakeholders to guard and look after the environment. Let us take statutory and obligatory steps to protect the environment in order to attract investors to our areas,” he appealed.
The public education campaigns are part of NEMC’s statutory obligations. Tanzania is one of the ten African countries with fast growing economies.
