Samia: Communicate effectively

ZANZIBAR: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed senior government officials to ensure effective, timely and well-coordinated communication to strengthen public confidence in the government and safeguard national interests.

The Head of State issued the directive yesterday while opening a two-day seminar for Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Permanent Secretaries from the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar at the Tunguu State House in Zanzibar.

The seminar focuses on enhancing government communication and equipping senior leaders with skills to engage the public through traditional and digital media effectively.

President Samia said communication is a core leadership responsibility that requires coordination, professionalism and strategic direction to ensure citizens receive accurate information about government policies, programmes and achievements.

“Communication is part of leadership and a strategic tool for safeguarding national interests,” President Samia said. She noted that effective communication promotes public participation, strengthens trust in government institutions and enables wananchi to understand and contribute to the country’s development agenda.

The President stressed that government information should be communicated promptly, in simple language and supported by verified facts and statistics to avoid misinformation and speculation.

“Government information should be provided on time, in clear language and using verified statistics,” she said.

President Samia observed that both the Union Government and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar have recorded notable achievements in education, health, infrastructure, energy, water supply and other key sectors, but said these successes should be communicated more effectively to ensure citizens appreciate the impact of government initiatives.

She also highlighted the implementation of the National Development Vision 2050, saying the two governments had embarked on wide-ranging economic and public service reforms aimed at accelerating sustainable development and improving people’s livelihoods.

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According to the President, the success of Vision 2050 will largely depend on collaboration between the public and private sectors.

She noted that nearly 70 per cent of the implementation of the long-term development blueprint relies on private sector participation, making effective communication and continuous engagement between the government and businesses essential.

President Samia said government leaders should therefore embrace proactive communication, regularly updating the public on policies, projects and progress while listening to citizens’ concerns and responding to them appropriately.

Earlier, Chief Secretary Ambassador Dr Moses Kusiluka said the seminar was convened following President Samia’s directive to strengthen the capacity of senior leaders in government and public communication.

He said the training is designed to improve the ability of ministers, deputy ministers and permanent secretaries to provide information accurately, clearly and on time, while also enhancing the effective use of mainstream media and social media platforms.

Dr Kusiluka further said strong communication is essential for improving public understanding of government decisions, promoting transparency and strengthening accountability across public institutions.

The two-day seminar has, for the first time, brought together senior government leaders from both sides of the Union to develop a common understanding and coordinated approach to communicating government policies, programmes and development priorities.

President Samia has consistently underscored the importance of transparent and responsible government communication, urging public institutions to proactively explain policies and development initiatives to the public.

She has maintained that timely, accurate and credible information is vital in countering misinformation, promoting accountability and building public trust in government institutions.