Tanzania, Finland agree to deepen economic ties in digital technology,  forestry and mining sectors

DAR ES SALAAM: FINLAND has expressed interest in strengthening economic cooperation with Tanzania by expanding investment and development activities in digital technology, Telecommunications, forestry and mining.

The commitment was highlighted by Finland’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Anna Merrifield, during a meeting with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Dr Natu El-Maamry Mwamba, held at the ministry’s offices in Dar es Salaam.

Ambassador Merrifield said her country intends to expand cooperation beyond the traditional development partnership model towards broader engagement involving the private sector, investment and the application of technology to drive economic growth.

“Finland has extensive experience in technology and innovation, particularly in digital services and telecommunications, which can help Tanzania achieve its development goals,” she said.

She noted that digital technology and telecommunications are essential to Tanzania’s ambition of building a one-trillion-US-dollar economy by 2050, stressing that the target cannot be achieved without integrating technology across various sectors of the economy.

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On private sector cooperation, Merrifield said Finland seeks to strengthen the link between development projects and private company investments by leveraging the expertise of Finnish firms to address development challenges in Tanzania.

She said priority would be given to projects with social and economic benefits that may not necessarily generate direct commercial profits but could deliver positive outcomes for citizens and support Tanzania’s development.

She added that such projects should be aligned with Tanzania’s development needs and priorities while drawing on the expertise and capabilities of Finnish companies for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Earlier, Dr Mwamba said she welcomed the new Public Sector Investment Framework (PIF), which enables Tanzania to access concessional loans supported by grants from the Finnish government to finance mutually agreed development projects.