CHAUMMA’s manifesto highlights priorities to uplift economy

DAR ES SALAAM: THE opposition CHAUMMA’s manifesto has outlined a series of commitments it intends to implement if elected into government.

Among others, the manifesto states that for importers, the party promises to remove tax-related inconveniences by allowing traders to clear goods from the port once their tax liabilities are known. Importers would then have 14 days after collecting their goods to complete payment of all taxes.

The manifesto states that communities neighbouring protected areas or endowed with natural resources will be entitled to a fair share of revenues and benefits from those resources, with the aim of motivating them to protect and conserve them.

In the mining sector, CHAUMMA pledges to enact a new law to ensure that citizens whose land contains minerals will have ownership rights through special arrangements. Both the minerals and the land will be treated as their starting capital.

The party also promises to remove excise duties on essential goods and services, including matches, salt, soap and cooking oil.

It further commits to scrapping Value Added Tax (VAT) on all agricultural inputs and basic food products such as sugar, rice, wheat, meat, cooking oil and others, to make food more affordable.

In agriculture, CHAUMMA pledges to allocate at least 10 per cent of the national budget to the sector every year. Based on the current national budget of 56.49tri/-, this would amount to over 5tri/-.

It also promises to build irrigation infrastructure, expand irrigated land and reduce dependence on rainfall.

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For pastoralists, the manifesto pledges to designate grazing areas and issue legal land titles. It also intends to review and improve conservation laws that conflict with grazing and watering rights.

To boost trade, CHAUMMA promises to establish international-standard border markets and remove livestock levies in cases where herders cannot secure buyers at auctions.

The party says it will abolish the government directive that established TARURA and place rural road construction back under TANROADS, arguing this will restore efficiency in improving village and neighbourhood roads.

In Zanzibar, CHAUMMA pledges to promote an economy that benefits the wider population rather than a few.

It commits to reducing inequality by introducing empowerment programmes for women and youth through grants and interest-free loans.

It also promises to establish small agro-processing industries in every district and create business innovation hubs in Unguja and Pemba.

The party plans to establish a Price Regulation Authority to oversee essential goods such as food and cooking oil and to build strategic reserves of food and other key products to stabilise supply and address inflation.

The document also pledges to partner with the private sector to expand modern tourism infrastructure to attract international visitors to Zanzibar’s coastal, cultural and historical sites.

On the blue economy, CHAUMMA promises reforms in the fisheries sector to make it a leading contributor to national output.

This includes providing modern deep-sea fishing vessels to local fishers, restoring Zanzibar’s authority over marine resources including oil and gas in its Exclusive Economic Zone and introducing policies within one year to begin oil and gas exploration. The party also commits to ensuring that Zanzibaris benefit from offshore resources through training and skills development in the oil and gas sector