PRESIDENT Dr Ali Mohamed Shein has directed the Ministry of Finance and Planning to work ingeniously and raise the government’s revenues to finance wananchi-focused development projects.
Dr Shein said through the ministry’s ingenuity, the country will register more and faster social and economic development, saying the government and Zanzibari’s’ plight relies mostly on the finance portfolio.
Dr Shein further tasked the ministry to devise special and effective strategies to hype Zanzibar’s investment opportunities and invite serious domestic and foreign investors to Micheweni investment area in Pemba.
Speaking on Thursday after receiving the ministry’s work implementation report for the first half of the 2019/2020 fiscal year, covering the July-December, 2019 period, the Head of State insisted on integrity, honesty and patriotism in performing the public jobs.
President Shein also ordered proper management of the government warehouses, instructing the ministry to follow up on the facilities and know their supervisors.
He proposed the use of native researchers in various studies conducted in the country instead of preferring foreigners, arguing that the country has many, well trained and experienced experts.
President Shein challenged Zanzibar Insurance Corporation and the People’s Bank of Zanzibar to operate commercially and competitively through expansion of their services within and outside the country.
Presenting the report, Finance and Planning Minister Ambassador Mohamed Ramia Abdiwawa said the country’s peace and tranquility as well as increasing tourist attractions helped to increase the number of tourists visiting Zanzibar to 538,264 last year from 520,809 in 2018.
He said the Zanzibar’s economy was growing stronger, with the gross domestic product reaching 2,684bn/-in 2017, an average growth rate of 7.1 per cent.
Ambassador Ramia cited the Zanzibar Urban Services Project (ZUSP) and installation of street lights in Unguja and Pemba as some of the major projects in progress under the ministry of finance.
Meanwhile, Labour, Empowerment, Elderly, Women and Children Minister Maudline Cyrus Castico has said her portfolio is determined to create the society with decent jobs, creativity and capacity to confront poverty.
Presenting the ministry’s performance report for the first half of the 2019/2020 fiscal year to Dr Shein, Minister Castico assured that the decent job policy will be achieved through enhancement of availability of decent jobs, increased gender equality and empowerment of women, youth, elderly and children.
