ZANZIBAR: THE Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of State, President’s Office (Labour, Economy, and Investments), Mr Khamis Suleiman Mwalim, has emphasised that the development of cooperatives can significantly contribute to Zanzibar’s economic growth, though it remains an untapped opportunity.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), where senior officers from the cooperatives department met with journalists, Mr Mwalim said that his office is working to raise public awareness about the benefits of cooperatives, especially among youths.
“We need to educate people about the financial potential of cooperatives and their role in economic development. Journalists, too, have the opportunity to form their own groups and establish cooperatives,” said Mr Mwalim.
He said that there is still a lack of knowledge and misconceptions surrounding cooperatives in Zanzibar, which has led his office to launch training programmes, starting with journalists.
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Director of the Cooperatives Development Department in the Ministry of State- President’s Office (Labour, Economy and Investments), Mr Khamis Daud Simba, also said that the ongoing reforms are aimed at improving the cooperative sector.
“We provide training to leverage media outreach and legislative reforms to make cooperatives more active and effective,” said Mr Simba. “Currently, Zanzibar has 8,740 registered cooperatives, including 218 financial cooperatives.”
Mr Simba further said that his department, in collaboration with Moshi Cooperative University, is conducting a nationwide survey to assess the status of cooperatives in Zanzibar and to identify ways to boost their productivity.
A senior officer in the Cooperatives Development Department, Ms Zainab Abdul-Kadir Hassan underscored the critical role of cooperatives in development, including their contributions to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
She noted that cooperatives are responsible for providing more than 40 per cent of employment in the country.
