Experts offer titbits for TZ to exploit rich population
By MAUREEN ODUNGA and JAMES KAMALA
ECONOMISTS have expressed optimism on the country’s 61,741,120 people population, advising the government to capitalise on the figures by embarking on a major agricultural revolution and skills development for swift economic growth.
The analyst also suggested that the just released results of the first volume of the 2022 National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) should be an opener for the country to further stimulate development, accelerate growth, alleviate poverty, and achieve any number of other goals to mixed success.
Last year, the economy grew by 5.4 per cent, while the population has been growing by 3.2 per cent yearly for the past ten years as indicated in the first volume of the NPHC-2022.
A cross-section of economists and development specialists, who spoke to ‘Daily News’ in an exclusive telephone interview , yesterday were optimistic that the reforms in key sectors such as agriculture will help boost the country’s demographic dividend, as more people will possess the potential to be productive and contribute to the economy.
A senior lecturer of economics at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Prof Humphrey Moshi, suggested that it was high time the country embarked on a major agricultural revolution, to increase productivity, while eradicating poverty.
“Over 60 per cent of the population in the country rely on agriculture, this is why, the government should take concrete measures to vigorously invest in the area for more productivity in the reduction of poverty and attaining its ambitious goal of industrialisation,” said Prof Moshi.
He said that, more emphasis should be placed on boosting the economy despite the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which may have contributed to slowing the growth rate.
The Economist indicated that despite the fact that agriculture is the backbone of the country, there was food insecurity, thereby, depending on foreign countries to access commodities like wheat and cooking oil.
Expounding further, he viewed growth in population as an asset if a country harbored useful workforce ranging between the ages of 19 to 60 years in the population structure.
He, however, revealed that Tanzania needs a transformed education system like in the previous days, when technical schools were dominant in the production of a more skilled labour force rather than creating people, who depend on formal employment.
“The labour force should be relatively high, similar to the production and purchasing power…when we talk of a strategic market, we mean a household that has the ability to purchase,” he maintained.
On the other hand, UDSM Lecturer in economics, Dr Abel Kinyondo, supported the view that population is power, citing countries like Nigeria, China and India, which are bragging of their numbers in the economic spheres.
Dr Kinyondo commended the demographic transition of Tanzania, which is dominated by mostly youths, and children, who are today and tomorrow’s workforce, citing it as a factor for attracting investments.
He, however, said that numbers without quality is nothing, suggesting that the country should come up with concrete plans in developing needed skills for the group to be employable and employ themselves; otherwise more youth who cannot be absorbed are being created.
Similarly, Tanzania should be able to produce thinkers through the creation of technological hubs and leading students to STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) because it is where the future holds.
In line with this, he said the country’s graduates should be able to compete internationally, citing an example of Zimbabwe: despite its economic hurdles the education system has been able to support its citizens to be employed beyond borders, thereby, bringing back huge remittances to their country.
“Tanzania is among the least African countries that is receiving the lowest remittance because we are not employable beyond borders,” said Dr Kinyondo.
A Development Consultant, Mr Buberwa Kaiza, suggested that it is now the right time for the government to start planning in figures of the 2022 NPHC, to promote a vibrant private sector, which will positively contribute to the national economic development.
“Looking at the data, all regions should be contributing to the government coffers through taxes and levies per the available population. In case the revenue contribution is less compared to populations we need to make inquiries
“It is expected that it will be easier to eliminate all hurdles hampering trade growth as a way of promoting a profitable citizen centered private sector to guide the national economy,” said Mr Kaiza.
Programme Specialist on Population and Development at the United Nations Development Programme (UNFPA), Mr Samweli Msokwa, said that census result of the on average population growth gives room for the country to use the figures to properly plan in the aspects of social services like health facilities, schools and infrastructure among others.
Equally, the analyst recommended the scaling up of family planning awareness campaigns in slowing down the rapid growth of human population.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced on Monday in Dodoma that the country’s population now stands at 61,741,120 people.
Dar es Salaam emerges as the most populous region in the county housing 8.7 per cent of the entire population or 5.38 million people, followed by Mwanza with 6.0 per cent of the population or 3.69 million people.
