ADC backs dual citizenship for development
GEITA: THE Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) presidential candidate, Mr Wilson Mulumbe, has pledged to introduce duo citizenship in the country if elected in the General Election to be held next week.
Speaking recently during a campaign rally at Katoro Township, Mr Mulumbe said an ADC-led government will establish a conducive system to enable the Tanzanian diaspora to participate more effectively in the country’s development agenda.
He noted that Tanzania remains among only four African countries out of 56 that have not yet adopted dual citizenship, a situation that limits Tanzanians abroad from fully contributing to national economic growth.
“I will join the other 52 countries so that Tanzania becomes the 53rd in Africa to adopt dual citizenship,” Mr Mulumbe declared.
He said the current restriction has discouraged many Tanzanians living overseas from investing in their home country, forcing them instead to channel their resources to other nations.
“This challenge has made our fellow Tanzanians abandon their homeland. Instead, they invest their projects in other countries,” he said.
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Mr Mulumbe further pointed out that the Tanzanian diaspora currently contributes around 800 million US dollars to the local economy, compared to about 5.7 billion US dollars contributed by the Kenyan diaspora, a difference of approximately 4.9 billion US dollars.
He promised that, if elected, his administration will work to increase diaspora contributions to over 3 billion US dollars annually, noting that such growth would help reduce the tax burden on local citizens through additional national income.
“This will even help reduce taxation and ease the burden on local citizens because of the extra income the country will earn,” Mr Mulumbe stated.
He also underscored that the existing high tax rates have led to the collapse of many small businesses, stressing the need for alternative revenue sources to protect local entrepreneurs.
“We urge you to vote for us because our policies are focused on improving people’s living standards and addressing the poverty challenges facing Tanzanians,” Mr Mulumbe urged.
