- Mwinyi orders authorities to check bureaucracy
ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has said the 47th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) proved to be unique, thanks to high standard of preparations as well as quantity and quality of products showcased.
For further improvements, he directed responsible authorities to scrap unnecessary bureaucratic chains for trade and investments to flourish and attract more participants.
Closing the event at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Trade Fair Grounds in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, Dr Mwinyi said in order to reduce cost of doing business, nuisance levies should be scrapped.
To enhance this, Dr Mwinyi noted that both the Mainland and Isles’ governments are working together to ensure systems match to ease business environment.
He said this year, a total of 3,500 companies including 268 from abroad participated in the exhibition, a move he described as: “an achievement amid the ongoing plans deployed to improve the business environment.”
Equally, he advised local manufacturers who have received orders from foreign companies to observe the required standards.
Gracing the 47th DITF on July 5 this year, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa tipped the local business community to improve their products; packaging as marketing for them to access African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) estimated to be 1.3 billion people across Africa.
The Premier insisted that it was the time for local manufacturers to ponder on how to access both regional and international markets.
Since the opening of the exhibitions, the products worth 3.8bn/- were sold compared to only 3.6bn/- recorded in the previous event, according to Tanzania Trade Development Authority (Tantrade) Director General Ms Latifa Khamis during the exhibition closing ceremony.
She added that through Business to Business (B2B), orders of goods worth 16.98bn/- have been placed.
“This year’s exhibition has made it possible to sign nine MoUs in the agriculture and education sectors.
“We entered into a total of nine MoUs in various sectors and areas including the purchase of cotton signed between the Cotton Board of Tanzania and Algeria to buy 30,000 tonnes per year, and sisal deal between the Tanzania Sisal Board with a company from India.
In addition, she said other MoU were entered between Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, India on the exchange programmes as well as online and offline programmes.
She said the priority areas are agriculture, agribusiness, biotechnology, food science and so forth.
Furthermore, Ms Khamis said that more than three million domestic and foreign visitors visited the exhibition in comparison to the previous years, where last year only 265,957 were in attendance.
She added that the event provided a total of 11,687 temporary jobs.
“We were able to provide temporary jobs in the activities that were going on here in the grounds, including cleaning, transportation, decorations, food, restaurants,” said Ms Khamis.
She said they will work closely with the institution to facilitate the sale of concessions.
On his part the Minister for Trade and Industrial Development Zanzibar Mr Ali Hamis Juma said the exhibitions are one of the important tools that help to develop the business sector in the country and provide an opportunity for participants from inside and outside the country to introduce new products and services to the market.
Mr Juma said that Zanzibar is currently executing construction project of an international exhibition venue at Fumba, Zanzibar and it is anticipated to be concluded by 2014.
“We are working day and night to ensure that President Mwinyi’s mission is fulfilled and if possible the 60th anniversary of the Zanzibar Revolution will be decorated with Zanzibar having a permanent area for international trade fairs,” he said.
