PARTICIPANTS in the TNBC forestry task force have praised public private sector consultations sponsored by the Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), saying the coordinated joint dialogue was bearing fruit.
The TNBC has several task forces which include one on forestry, and others on improving business environment, tourism, industries, agriculture and economic empowerment.
Members of the TNBC forestry task force met recently in Dar es Salaam to review their work.
The task force was challenged to come up with strategies that would guarantee sustainability of the forestry subsector for the benefit of the current and future generations.
The task force collects views from forestry stakeholders and presents them to the TNBC secretariat.
The Forestry Task Force or Working Group Chairman is Prof Adolf Mkenda who is also the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
Professor Lucian Msambichaka said consultations have attracted valuable views from different groups in the private and public sectors.
Professor Msambichaka, a renowned economist, called on the leaderships at various levels to organise young people into hard-working groups to benefit from forestry initiatives.
He said local industries were dependent on forestry products, explaining that that was enough evidence that the sub-sector was creating jobs for young people.
“It is high time Tanzanians stopped complaining casually. On the contrary people should seize opportunities availed by the forestry sector, work hard, generate personal income and promote the national economy. Proper use of forestry products was important in achieving the national goal of making Tanzania a middle-income industrial nation by 2025,” he explained.
Mr Julius Kandawala said for a long time there had been a dialogue vacuum between the private and public sectors.
“I feel proud and overjoyed to take part in these consultations because they have successful results. We are on a right course. With this cooperation we shall achieve our national development goals. ”
Mr Kandawala said in the present world meaningful national development in any country depended on cooperation between the government and the private sector.
The government, he said had the duty to create a conducive environment for the private sector contribute to national growth and prosperity.
The TNBC Executive Secretary, Dr Godwill Wanga said the secretariat would continue to meet with members of the task forces in order to achieve the goals for which the task forces were established.
