Mary Nagu - Is It OK To Steal Farms In Tanzania?

 

MARY NAGU

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office

responsible for Investment and Empowerment

“ I urge our authorities to change mind-sets in dealing with investors”

 

Nagu hits at bureaucracy to investors

15th December 2011

GOVERNMENT officials have been challenged to be effective, supportive and efficient and get rid of bureaucracy when serving local or foreign investors.

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Investment and Empowerment, Dr Mary Nagu, said in Dar es Salaam on Thursday that it was high time public institutions and authorities dealing with investment issues in the country became helpful when attending to investors.

She made the remarks when inaugurating a new tea factory, Kimbila Tea Packing Company Ltd (KTPC) which processes and packages a new tea brand known as Chai Tausi. "I am not amused by the news that bureaucracy is still rampant in various government offices especially in matters related to investments. I urge our authorities to change mindsets in dealing with investors, we must really change," she stressed.

She was responding to concerns raised by the company's Commercial Director, Mr Charles Newe, who told the minister that it took them unnecessarily long and passing through tedious procedures before having the factory fully operational.

Mr Newe also asked the government to see to it that spares for local processing factories like his are locally manufactured while efforts should also be directed at making sure electricity becomes available and reliable for local industries to survive.

In response, the minister reiterated the government's commitment to enable more private sectors to operate smoothly and boost the nation's economy. She commended TATEPA and its chairman, retired Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister Mr Joseph Mungai, for introducing more investments that are positively contributing in the fight against poverty.

The company which is jointly owned by the Tanzania Tea Parkers Ltd (TATEPA) and Rungwe Small Tea Growers Association (RSTGA) through the Wakulima Tea Company Ltd based in Iringa Region plans to sell approximately 600,000 kilograms of tea in a year.

According to Mr Sewe, the company currently employs 45 local staff but would be able to employ about 200 people within its first year of operations. The TATEPA Chairman, Mr Mungai, said apart form selling tea, the company was now producing and exporting avocadoes in conjunction with smallholders and will soon embark on a small hydro project.

More than 15,000 small farmers are directly benefiting from various agricultural activities run by TATEPA subsidiary companies.