Hope as Govt sets up business desks

Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) executive director, Mr Godfrey Simbeye

Dodoma. The government’s decision to set up special desks that will collect feedback on the progress towards improving the country’s business environment is good, members of the business community have said.

Speaking at the weekend during the Third High Level Public Private Dialogue (PPD) on Doing Business in Tanzania held over the weekend, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industries, Trade and Investment, Prof Elisante ole Gabriel said the government has set up the desks in a move aimed at enabling the private sector to play a key role in supporting the goal of building an industrial economy.

The meeting, which deliberated on ways of improving the business and investment climate in the country, brought together senior officials from the public and private sectors.

Prof Gabriel said the government believes that the private sector has what it takes to turnaround Tanzania’s economic fortunes provided that it (the sector) improves in terms of quality of staff, production efficiency as well as in the supply of goods and services.

Reacting to the decision, the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) executive director, Mr Godfrey Simbeye said setting up the desks was a clear indication that of the government’s commitment towards improving the business environment.

“This has impressed us (private sector). It gives us the right channel through which we will air out our views regarding the slow pace of implementation of deliberations that have been reached at during some of our past meetings,” he said.

According to Mr Simbeye, TPSF has already established similar de, adding that the two desks will work together to ensure that deliberations reached between the two sides were implemented amicably.

In another development the World Bank and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have expressed their satisfaction with the measures taken by the government in improving business

environment in the country.

Some of the government leaders who participated in the dialogue included the Minister for Finance and Planning, Dr Philip Mpango, the Minster for Industries, Trade and Investment, Mr Charles Mwijage, the Minister for Agriculture, Dr Charles Tizeba and Deputy Minister for

Energy, Stanslaus Nyongo among others.

On the part of private sector representatives included TPSF Deputy Chairman, Mr Salum Shamte and various Senior executives in the private sector including bankers.

Speaking at the same venue, the Country’s USAID Resident Representative, Andrew Karas said that to improve business and investment environment, the government and private sector should work together as two sides of coin that depends on each other.

He pointed out that both the government and the private sector have a role of ensuring that the economy is growing, adding that the growth should go together with the improvement of people’s lives especially those in rural areas.

World Bank’s Country Director for Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi and Somalia, Bella Bird on her part said that World Bank is pleased with the measures taken by

the government and the private sector in improving the country’s economy.