THE government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation is preparing a National Strategic Plan for all stakeholders to participate more effectively and efficiently in economic diplomacy.
Minister for the docket, Dr Stergomena Tax, told Members of Parliament that the execution of the plan will enable the country to reap more from the concept.
Tabling the 247.9bn/- budget estimates for her docket for 2023/2024 financial year on Tuesday, Dr Tax said that the government will in the next budget continue to coordinate and implement economic diplomacy including finalising preparations for the plan.
The Minister said considering numerous benefits which have so far been attained and the implementation of economic diplomacy as a cross-cutting issue, the plan will enable effective involvement of all stakeholders from the country to benefit more.
“Economic diplomacy is a central theme in the Foreign Policy, whose objective is to put economic benefit first in international cooperation and relations. This concept is considered in all objectives of the Foreign Policy, including those appearing political on face value,” she said.
“The plan will provide clear definition of the economic diplomacy and identify all key stakeholders in the execution of the concept…It will also set up monitoring plan to see how it is being implemented,” Dr Tax said.
She noted that upon completion of the plan in December this year, the ministry will also allocate experts in the country’s embassies abroad to help in various areas which will need their expertise.
The minister said that the successes achieved from implementation of Economic Diplomacy in the 2022/2023 financial year include the visits of the country’s national leaders outside the country.
She said the visits brought significant economic and social benefits including the promise by His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar to award scholarships to Tanzania medical students, build a mother and child facility and to bring health professionals to the country for the sake of sharing knowledge.
Sheikh Thani also pledged to construct secondary school classrooms and support some national strategic projects through the Qatar Development Fund.
The list highlighted signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tanzania and Oman on cooperation in areas of higher education and vocational training, record keeping, and construction of a record keeping centre.
“The signing of the agreements shall enable Tanzanians to secure training scholarships in Oman, and to enable the two countries to share experiences and knowledge on issues related to record keeping and conservation,” the minister said.
She further said that Tanzania and China have also signed an MoU to allow avocados to access the latter’s markets and allow wild aquatic products including fish fillets from Tanzania to access the Chinese market.
“The signing of these memoranda has increased the scope of market for Tanzanian commodities abroad,” she said.
Equally, Dr Tax mentioned other priorities for the next fiscal year as coordinating official visits for national leaders abroad, and visits of foreign country leaders as well as other representatives of international organisations in the country for the sake of maintaining diplomatic relations and exploiting economic opportunities.
“To implement the Strategic Plan for the development of government-owned plots out of the country and to rehabilitate Tanzanian Embassy buildings; oversee the implementation of responsibilities of the institutions affiliated to the Ministry,” she said.
She said that the ministry will also consolidate participation of the Diaspora in the national development including completion of the procedure and regulations for their Special Status.