Tanzania urged to focus on creating industrialisation policy

TANZANIA needs to focus on developing a clear policy, strategy, plan and agenda to achieve its industrialisa- tion drive by the year 2025.

The Practice Manager of the East Africa Region in the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice of the World Bank group, Ms Catherine Masinde remarked this at a stakeholders meeting to review the 2018 World Bank Doing Business Indicator Report.

Ms Masinde further observed that for the country to venture in major reforms of the nature, it has to have purpose and roadmap for the plan to become successful.

“We have witnessed countries like Rwanda and Kenya doing very well when they were implement- ing their different agendas, but like wise there are cases where other countries have failed just because some steps were not put for consideration,” said Ms Masinde.

For the case of Tanzania, she said there is need to overcome factors that hinder the country from having an outstanding performance in the area of effective business operations.

In order for the country to do better, the WB Senior Official noted that sequencing of reforms is vital for the reforms to take place smoothly.

Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) Executive Director, Mr Godfrey Simbeye, said the recent World Bank report on doing business indicator saw Tanzania scoops the 137 posi- tion as compared to the previ- ous year’s 132 position out of 190 economies.

He pointed out that beside the slide; the country has also done well in three areas, including access to credit, electricity and in the enforcement of contracts.

The TPSF ED also said among areas that the country was ranked poorly was on trading across bor- ders, particularly cargo that goes through.

“The problem has been spot- ted in terms of regulations, but infrastructure wise the country is doing well,” noted Mr Simbeye.

TPSF Director of Policy Advocacy, Research and Lobbying, Mr Gili Teri was of the view that there should be enough voices in the private sector in the area to overcome the obstacles.

“We need to fast track reforms to get ahead of the challenges we are facing,” he said