CTI pleads for domestic industries’ protection
COAST REGION: THE Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) has called on the need to protect local industries that will guarantee jobs to the country’s workforce and contribute to economic development.
The CTI Executive Director, Mr Leodegar Tenga said buying locally manufactured products is one of the fundamental strategies in protecting domestic industries and bolstering foreign exchange reserves that would have been used for paying imports.
“We request the government to protect domestic industries that maintain jobs for its people and contribute to the nation’s economic growth,” said Mr Tenga during the visits of the CTI delegation to Steel Lodhia Industries located at Kisemvule in Coast Region recently.
He congratulated the factory due to the large investment they made which resulted in 2,000 jobs for Tanzanians as well as producing quality products. Mr Tenga asked Tanzanians to support local producers by buying their products because they have international quality and sometimes exceed the standards of some foreign products.
Mr Tenga said the products manufactured by the factory, including iron and plastic products, are important pillars in the development of the country as the construction of infrastructure depends on the existence of these products.
“When you build roads, classrooms, bridges and all infrastructures, you need a lot of construction raw materials. Now we feel very proud Lodhia industries, our member has made large scale investment on this area,” he said.
He added, “Lodhia is supporting the government’s vision emphasising and encouraging investment in small and large factories like this one for steel and plastics and we are more than happy to see that this investor is a Tanzanian,” He said the products are of high quality and Tanzanians should be enthusiastic about local industrial products including steel and products like plastic pipes from Lodhia Industries to continue protecting the jobs of fellow Tanzanians who have found employment through this investment.
The Factory’s Chief Executive Officer, Manoj Gopi, asked the government to put in place a strategy to protect local industries as some of the neighbouring countries are doing by ensuring that they buy large quantities of products from those factories.
He said that the move will help to promote those industries increase employment opportunities for many Tanzanians and protect the dollar reserves that have been used to import goods abroad.
He said that the products produced by the factory have met all international standards, so he does not see any reason for the government to continue importing foreign products to implement its infrastructure projects.
He said they have been supplying construction materials like steel on government projects including the Kigongo Busisi bridge, the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Hydro Power Project (JNHPP) in Rufiji Coastal Region and road projects.
He added that Lodhia Industries is investing 60 million US dollars in the construction of a galvanising factory which is expected to start production in May this year and provide more than 500 direct jobs.
He said also that they have invested 45 million US dollars in steel and plastic products where they have created more than 2,000 direct jobs.
“This investment is very big, we ask the government to put in place strategies to protect us and give us priority by buying our products,” he said.
The retired CTI Vice Chairman, Samuel Nyantahe, said that the investment made by Lodhia Industries is huge, so it is important for the government to protect local industries like this one by promoting use of the domestic products.
