AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE National Environment Management Council (NEMC) has grown and become an active powerful institution in the last five years, the NEMC Director General, Dr Samuel Gwamaka, said here yesterday.
He told reporters that during the last half a decade the government reinforced powers and authority of NEMC by removing operational impediments that stood in the way of enforcing the Environmental Management Act, 2004 and its Regulations in protecting the environment and promoting government objectives.
Removal of the impediments made NEMC a powerful institution that has been highly supportive of government’s efforts in implementing the national industrialisation agenda and in strengthening the base of the middle-income economy, Dr Gwamaka explained.
He said particularly during the last five years, there were regular consultations between NEMC officials, investors and members of the business community.
“Unlike in the past, there have been regular visits to sites and amicable consultations on the need to protect environment for the good of the present and future generations,” he said.
NEMC supervised successfully the elimination of plastic carriers in the country, winning where many countries have failed.
Dr Gwamaka said public education conducted by the NEMC has paid off, adding that public education on protection of environment would continue so that government objectives could be smoothly achieved. NEMC supervises climate change adaptation measures in all sectors of the economy.
Tanzania’s industrial development currently hinges on light manufacturing and agro-processing industries, plants and mills.
NEMC has ensured industries get environment impact assessment clearance and operational industries do not violate the law. NEMC also has its eyes on game reserves and national parks which attract huge numbers of tourists.
The former Selous Game reserve, now Nyerere National Park for example, is the largest park in the south of the Sahara and is projected to attract millions of visitors in the coming decade.
