Sectors to benefit from 210bn/- German grant listed

TANZANIA has received a Euro 87 million (about 210.10bn/-) grant from Germany to support implementation of development projects in various sectors.

The money, whose agreement for the issuance was signed yesterday, will be spent on six key sectors such as biodiversity, health, water, peaceful and inclusive societies, financial governance and studies.

Speaking during the signing ceremony held on Thursday in Berlin, Minister for Finance and Planning Dr Mwigulu Nchemba said the funding will play a vital role in supporting national development.

According to him, in the biodiversity sector, the grant will be spent to support the national parks and game reserves in order to preserve its rich natural environment and to increase revenues through sustainable tourism.

“On health sector, the grant will cover Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care, Reproductive Health and Family Planning with a focus on young people, evidence-based planning and management and Universal Health Insurance,” he said.

The grant will also be spent on supporting the water sector which involves Sanitation and Water Resource Management for the sake of improving Tanzanians’ access to potable drinking water.

“The fund will also support peaceful and inclusive society’s programmes that will end up promoting gender equality, the realisation of women’s rights and the prevention of all forms of violence against women and children for the sustainable development of a country,” he said.

More so, the grant will help in realising good financial governance, which involves support to the public finance sector for the improvement of the public finance system.

According to Dr Nchemba, the grant will also be used for assessments and the preparation of new projects or to implement smaller stand-alone measures as needs arise from the ongoing portfolio.

He went on to mention the eleven specific projects and programmes that will be executed   by using the just secured grant.

A list of projects to be financed includes the Serengeti Ecosystem Development and Conservation Project (SEDCP) and the Selous and Nyerere Ecosystem Conservation and Development Project (SANEP).

The money will be channeled to supporting phase two of the improvement in healthcare provision, access to justice for women and children, and digital centre with a focus on human rights and gender equality.

Also, the funds will cover the water security project in Zanzibar, Investment Financing Facility – Output based approach and climate resilient towns.

“We are also looking forward to implementing the climate resilience and water security for urban areas in Tanzania and their catchments and strengthening water security and climate resilience for urban areas in Zanzibar,” he said.

Dr Nchemba assured the government commitment to monitor closely the spending of the secured funds for it to serve the intended purpose.

“I urge our two sides to cooperate closely in order to have mentioned projects implemented on time to achieve the intended development objectives,” noted further the minister.

During the event, the German delegation was led by Dr Barbel Kofler, Deputy Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Germany and Tanzania have been enjoying good relations over many years. The latter is one of the most dynamic growth markets in the region.

For around ten years, Tanzania has achieved high economic growth and was granted the status of a Lower Middle Income Country in mid-2020.

The country has thus long been one of Germany’s most important partners for development cooperation projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Priorities of Tanzanian German cooperation are healthcare, water supply and sanitation, protecting national parks and preserving biodiversity.

Available statistics show that trade between Germany and Tanzania has grown considerably in the past but has been stagnating in recent years and remains low with a volume of 300 million US dollars.

The German Chamber of Commerce Abroad opened an office in Dar es Salaam in 2018 to support trade relations. Individual companies have managed to enter the market despite difficult circumstances.