AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE value of selected manufactured commodities increased by 7.5 percent in the period ending December last year following improvement recorded in south eastern, southern highlands and central zones.
According to the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) consolidated zonal economic performance report for the quarter ending December last year, the value of manufactured commodities rose to 2.64tri/- compared to 2.45tri/- in the corresponding period 2018.
“Good performance in manufacturing activity was largely underpinned by the availability of raw materials, stability of power supply, improved infrastructure coupled with increased market demand,” stated the report.
The south eastern zone recorded the highest increase in the value of manufactured commodities of 64.0 percent in the reference period to 3 3 7 .5bn/- compared to 205.7 bn/- in the corresponding period 2018.
The southern highlands followed after registering 54.8 percent increase in the value of manufactured commodities to 27 0.8 bn/- compared to 17 4.9bn/- in the corresponding quarter 2018 .
On the other, Dar es Salaam, Northern and Lake Zones registered negative increase in the value of manufactured commodities by 4.3, 4.3 and 3 .3 per cent, respectively.
During the period under review, Dar es Salaam zone the value of manufactured commodities declined to 1.36tri/- from 1.43tri/-, Northern zone to 3 63 .3 bn/- from 37 9.5bn/- and Lake zone to 151.8bn/- from 157.0bn/-.
However, apart from the decline in the growth of the value of manufactured commodities, Dar es Salaam continues to be a leading zone in the sector, contributing 51.8 per cent of the total value of selected manufactured goods, followed by northern and south eastern zones at 13 .8 per cent and 12.8 per cent, respectively.
It is undeniable fact that manufacturing sector plays key role in growth of any economy and it is from this sector developing country can catchup with the rest of the world.
Industries producing goods for mass consumption — such as clothes, textiles and food — are incentivised, while the government also maintains a keen focus on the development of power megaprojects as a key enabler of industrialisation.
