Arusha — A member of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala), Mr Adam Kimbisa has broken silence, saying Tanzanians were yet to exploit ample opportunities for businesses and jobs in the bloc.

“We have to capitalize on our standard gauge railway (SGR) and upgraded ports. Our landlocked neighbours will use them and that will be to our benefit” he told The Citizen.

He said instead of complaining from unfair competition from some countries within the East African Community (EAC), Tanzanians should unlock their potentials “that can enable us fair well in our union.”

“Tanzania can benefit enormously from EAC integration” he said, citing the major infrastructure projects underway which can transform the country into a transport hub within the region.

Mr Kimbisa, who was in the limelight when he unsuccessfully contested the position of Eala Speaker last December, said the country has the potential to produce enough food for the rest of the region.

“There are ample markets for agricultural produce in South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya. Have we ever saturated these markets?” he asked during an interview with this paper.

He attributed failure to exploit the available export markets in the neighbouring countries to Tanzanians being averse to taking risks or being too slow in snatching available opportunities.

He said while the crisis-torn South Sudan was short of food, newly established textile mills in Rwanda are in dire need for cotton and sisal imports from Tanzania.

He challenged the local entrepreneurs to exploit the export markets for foodstuffs, industrial raw materials and manufactured goods in Rwanda, Burundi “and by extension eastern DR Congo”.

The lawmaker, who is serving his second and last five year term at Eala after being re-elected last year regretted the loss of export market for the onions produced in Karatu and Singida.

He regretted that the once lucrative market in Kenya for onions from Mang’ola (Karatu) was on the nose dive after the local administrators put “a lot of restrictions.”

“Onions are not a strategic food to be subjected to such restrictions,” he said, adding that wines produced in Dodoma was in high demand in EA region as are Kiswahili teachers.

Mr Kimbisa, the former Mayor of Dar es Salaam, has been the advocate of Kiswahili language since his stint as a member of the third Eala whose tenure ended in June last year.

Source: All Africa

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