AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA is looking for a suitable investor to establish and operate a smartphone assembly factory under Public, Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The PPP, under Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), is expected to be revealed early next month.
TRCA yesterday re-advertised the tender notice after it failed to get the required competitive bidders for the smartphone assembly plant.
TCRA Director of Licensing and Monitoring, John Daffa told ‘Daily News’ that they re-advertised the tender yesterday to get more competitive bidders.
“The factory will be built in Mwanza region, and initial preparations for the construction have been completed,” Mr Daffa said.
Initially, the regulator wanted the factory to start operating early this year, but the number and quality of bidders backpedalled the efforts.
The PPP, according to the notice, intends to have qualified, reputable and capable companies to work under design, build, and finance transfer arrangement.
“The government through TCRA is looking for a prospective private party towards establishment and operation of smartphone assembly factory under Public- Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements,” the notice said.
The qualification process will be conducted through international competitive bidding (ICB) under the procedures specified in PPP Act, regulations of 2020.
However, TCRA advised applicants who submitted their applications earlier to re submit their bids with updated information.
Last December, Mr Daffa when gracing the 9th graduation of the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA)- Kipawa in Dar es Salaam, said the plan was for the factory to provide employment and practical training for graduates in the field of information and communication technology (ICT).
The Director of Licensing and Monitoring said that they want the plastic and metal body of the mobile phone to be of high value materials gold and coltan to warrant recycling.
In East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda have plants assembling mobile phones. Transsion, the manufacturer of Tecno, the number one mobile seller in Africa, maintains a manufacturing facility in Ethiopia to maintain its continent business.
