FORMER LEADERS’ BENCH WITH DAILY NEWS: Msuya: Embrace PPP concept

…Says CCM must have firm grip on running the country

FORMER Prime Minister and First Vice-President Mzee Cleopa David Msuya is yearning to see the ruling party’s dominance in political and economic roles.

Mzee Msuya also strongly advocates the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concept.

In a recent interview where he hosted a team of writers from Tanzania Standard (Newspapers) Limited (TSN), who recently paid him a visit, at his birthplace, Chomvu village in Usangi Division, Mwanga District, Mzee Msuya underscored the importance of developing a system backed by a strong party and leadership.

“China is where it is today because of the communist party, CCM can as well follow suit,” suggested the sharp minded Nonagenarian.

He insisted that for any country to progress, it requires ruling party to have a tight grip in running matters of the country.

“For any country to progress, we need good leadership with an unrivaled backup.”

Likewise, Mzee Msuya rooted for the non-interference of presidential appointees while discharging their day to day duties.

Reflecting on his time when he served as a Prime Minister under Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Ali Hassan Mwinyi, the retired politician and administrator said he enjoyed working under the two leaders as he wasn’t interfered with.

He said: I felt very free and comfortable; I only went to them when I couldn’t find a way out on certain issues.

Mzee Msuya is of the opinion that there are still some leaders with such caliber in Tanzania.

The retired politician is also quick to point out the need of revisiting the country’s main hubs with a view of unleashing their potentials to economic growth.

“It is high time we capitalise on these hubs and zones according to their resources, say Mtwara is revered for natural gas and petroleum and Tanga for sisal , how is the country readying to tap wealth from these hubs?” he queried.

Having served as the chairperson of a number board of directors in the country, Mzee Msuya describes himself as an avid advocate of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concept.

The Makerere University graduate who started off his career as a Community Development Officer, noted that it was important to embrace and the PPP concept as it allows public administrators to concentrate on planning, policy and regulation while the private sector gets empowered to do what it does best and in particular improve the efficiency and quality of service.

“I’ve never been against PPP; as a matter of fact, I’m the one who proposed to engage South African Breweries in modernising TBL (Tanzanian Breweries Limited),” he recalled.

In 1993, the Tanzanian government entered into a joint venture with South African Breweries International (Now SABMiller) to run TBL.

This was through a 22.5 million US dollars investment in TBL by SABI, giving them SABI 50 per cent ownership of the Company.

SABMiller is the second largest and one of the most efficient brewing companies in the world. SABMiller turned TBL around with extraordinary speed, almost tripling production in the space of three years.

In September 9, 1998, TBL was listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) through a successful Initial Public Offer (IPO).

This made it the second listing on the bourse since its formation.

The rush to PPP would somewhat not go down well with ‘The Father of Industries’, especially after realising that it was only the foreign investors who took all the credit of transforming the once state run parastatals.

Mzee Msuya cannot hide his dismay on how such parastatals got sold to the multinationals.

“It is still hurts me how some of the companies like Southern Paper Mills was bought at a throw away price,” wondered the former Prime Minister.

After foreign acquisition, the company would change its name to Mufindi Paper Mills (MPM).

During the interview with TSN writers, Mzee Msuya also weighed in on the issue of ‘local schools’.

He poked holes on the system of confining students to particular areas, as early as they start the primary education.

“There’s a danger of pupils getting too localised, they need to mix with their colleagues from different parts of the country, this is in a bid of exposing them,” he observed.

Mzee Msuya is of the opinion that a nation with development mentality must be a disciplined one.

He said that discipline creates habits, habits make routines and routines become who we are.

“The value of discipline is the way to do what needs to be done, unfortunately, some leaders failed us in the quest to development,” he asserted.

The retired politician who is credited for spearheading industrial strategies that were bent on hastening agricultural development is sad to see agricultural sector back –pedaling.

According to Mzee Msuya, agriculture was Tanzania’s economic mainstay, but the fortunes accrued from it still remain to be seen.

“We are yet to improve on cash crops,” he suggested.

Some of the strategies initiated by Mzee Msuya when he was in charge of the Industry docket include  Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organisation (TIRDO), Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation and Rural Technology (CAMARTEC), Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Tanzania Engineering and Manufacturing Design Organisation (TEMDO) and TISCO.

Surprisingly, Mzee Msuya achieved all this when Tanzania was still reeling from economic hardship.

He is, however, quick to disclose his magic wand.

“I had to survey all the opportunities when Mwalimu asked me to head the Industry docket,” he recounted.

He further underscored the need of developing human capital in a bid to end poverty and create more inclusive societies.

According to Mzee Msuya, it is equally important to invest in education, on-the-job training, and health.

“Tanzania has enough skills to run the country but we still have to develop human capital,” he observed.

Mzee Msuya envisions a brighter and prosperous Tanzania once there’s full investment and development of human capital.

He also called for the implementation and sustaining the revised Arusha Declaration.

In 2003, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) together with its member states discussed the key factors to prevent corruption and increase the level of integrity in Customs.

The result was the Revised Arusha Declaration; the original declaration was adopted in 1993.

By adopting the Revised Declaration, WCO member states commit to improve integrity through self-assessment, action planning, implementation and evaluation.