More Tanzanians to benefit from carbon trade

DODOMA: MORE Tanzanians are expected to benefit from carbon trading as the government strengthens public awareness, project registration, investment and access to international carbon markets.

Deputy Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment Affairs), Mr Reuben Kwagilwa said this in the National Assembly in Dodoma yesterday when responding to a basic question from Hija Hassan Hija (Kiwani, CCM), who wanted to know the strategies being implemented to enable citizens to expand their participation in carbon trading.

“The government, through the National Carbon Monitoring Centre (NCMC), is implementing various strategies to increase citizens’ participation in the carbon business,”Mr Kwagilwa said.

Mr Kwagilwa said one of the measures was continued public education and awareness on carbon trading opportunities through the media, social media, workshops and seminars targeting communities and special groups. He said the government had also improved the carbon project registration system, through which 117 projects had been registered.

Other measures include building the capacity of citizens and communities through training and advisory services, as well as linking carbon trading projects with international markets to enable Tanzanians to access wider business opportunities.

Mr Kwagilwa said the government is also encouraging domestic investment by developing strategies and guidelines on access to finance to attract local investors into carbon projects. He said mechanisms were being strengthened to ensure transparency in benefit-sharing and fair agreements with communities involved in protecting forests and land.

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In his supplementary question, Mr Hija asked when the government would visit Kiwani to assess a 120-hectare mangrove planting initiative undertaken by local residents and explain how the beneficiaries could participate in carbon trading and access capital and technical support.

Responding, Mr Kwagilwa commended the residents for planting mangroves, describing the initiative as an important contribution to carbonrelated activities and environmental conservation.

He said the government will continue providing education, registering carbon projects, offering advisory services and promoting investment in the carbon sector so that citizens across the country could benefit.

Mr Kwagilwa said the government would also work to ensure that communities participating in carbon projects, including those in Kiwani, were able to access opportunities arising from carbon trading.

He said the VicePresident’s Office would continue overseeing the implementation of carbon-related initiatives and strengthening coordination to ensure that the benefits of the growing carbon market reached communities involved in environmental conservation.