Dar es Salaam\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 4 July 2018.<\/p>\n
The government has come up with an initiative that is aimed at speeding up the process of improving Tanzania\u2019s business climate.<\/p>\n
Industry, Trade and Investment minister Charles Mwijage launched the initiative \u2013 dubbed the Tanzania Business Clinic (TBC) \u2013 in Dar es Salaam yesterday.<\/p>\n
The launch followed the recent adoption by the Cabinet of a blueprint meant to lay the groundwork for a raft of amendments to laws and regulations with a view to improving the business environment.<\/p>\n
Mr Mwijage said TBC would identify and provide long and short-term solutions to challenges specific companies or sectors were grappling with.<\/p>\n
\u201cTBC is basically a platform that will consist of business experts and officials from public institutions and agencies that are closely linked to business operations. They will teach people about the best ways of doing business as well as policies and regulations guiding them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The group will have its head office in Dar es Salaam and branches in all Small Industries Development Organisation (Sido) offices across the country.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cThe platform comes after it was realised that efforts to come up with the Blueprint will be futile if the document will directly touch the targeted people,\u201d Mr Mwijage said.<\/p>\n
Presenting the 2018\/19 Budget in Parliament last month, Finance and Planning minister Philip Mpango said implementation of the Blueprint would start during the 2018\/19 financial year, which began on July 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a bid to stimulate industrial development, the government will direct more efforts in the implementation of the Blueprint for Regulatory Reform to Improve Business Environment for Tanzania in order to attract private sector investments, particularly in textiles; leather and meat; fish, edible oil; medicines and medical equipment; food and animal feeds; and mining,\u201d Dr Mpango said.<\/p>\n
These initiatives come after Tanzania put on a lacklustre performance in the World Bank\u2019s Doing Business Report.<\/p>\n
The blueprint \u2013 prepared after thorough consultations with various private sector associations and World Bank officials \u2013 will see the government initiate amendments of various laws including those governing value added tax; indicative prices for imports; immigration and labour; social security and environmental management, among others.<\/p>\n
In the World Bank\u2019s Doing Business 2018 Report, which was released last year, Tanzania was ranked 137th among 190 economies surveyed. The country did particularly poorly in starting a business (ranked 162nd); construction permits (156th); trading across borders (182nd) and registering a property (142nd).<\/p>\n
But Mr Mwijage is optimistic that if the Blueprint is embraced by both the business community and regulators, it would help to change the latter\u2019s mind-set towards businesses.<\/p>\n
He said a mind-set change would help the government to score \u201cquick wins\u201d in key sectors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are currently focusing on industries that will consume raw materials which are locally produced so as to stimulate production and value addition.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government, Mr Mwijage noted, was also focusing on manufacturing industries that were crucial in job creation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that these industries have what it takes to transform Tanzania into an inclusive middle-income economy in line with our growth aspirations,\u201d he said, adding that more emphasis was also being put on the cooking oil and pharmaceutical industries.<\/p>\n
More Info\u00a0Govt sets up \u2018business clinic\u2019 in reform push<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dar es Salaam\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 … Continue reading Govt sets up \u2018business clinic\u2019 in reform push<\/span>