TANZANIA: TANZANIA and China have expressed their joint commitment to continuing improving various policies concerning issues of the youth so that the group becomes ambassadors of change.
Speaking at China-Tanzania youth dialogue, the Deputy Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Youth, Employment & Persons with Disability), Mr Patrobas Katambi, said the two countries were determined to engage more the youth in various sectors including agriculture.
“We want to engage the youth in different sectors in different areas that we should see their participation,” Katambi asserted.
“Tanzania has committed herself to empowering the youth in social, economic, cultural, technological and political affairs,” he stated.
He said the responsibility of handling issues of youth development issues is shared between all ministries, regional secretariats, Local Government Authorities, youths and stakeholders.
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“The Government through the Prime Minister’s Office for Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disability prepares and oversees the implementation of government policies, legislation, rules and guidelines on youth development issues, this is being done by full involvement of various stakeholders,” he added.
According to Population and Housing Census 2022, population in Tanzania has reached 61.7 million people; youth aged 15-35 years are 21.3 million, which equals to 34.5 per cent of the total population.
“The important thing is that we need to turn our young people from job seekers into job creators…But much has to be done to change the mindset of many people in the economically active population that employment in the formal sector is the only available option to them for income and sustenance,”
Giving the welcome remarks earlier, Ambassador of China to Tanzania, Ms Chen Mingjian noted that youth serve as the living force to boost China-Tanzania bilateral relations.
The diplomat added that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Tanzania.
“Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jining and President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Tanzania has made steady progress and is entering the best period in history,” he added.
She noted that in 2023, a total of 160 Tanzanian students received scholarships to study in China.