… Call for effective use of natural resources

The two Heads of State remarked this in separate events held at the Magogoni State House in Dar es Salaam, including citing the Tanzania- Uganda Oil and Gas Symposium and State Banquet.

According to the Presidents, it was crucial for the countries to act fast so that their numerous resources can sustainably benefit the citizens of the two nations.

On her part, President Samia revealed that the East African states have been endowed with immense natural resources, which have not been tapped as stated earlier by President Museveni.

“The many natural resources a country possesses do not imply wealth, it’s important to tap and promote investment through the supply of raw materials, particularly in the areas including agriculture and geographical opportunities to create more jobs within the coun- try,” said President Samia.

She cited other areas as production of goods, human resource investment and in- dustries established as well as examples of fertiliser factories, which should be exploited.

The Head of State observed that experts from the two countries have agreed to explore more areas of cooperation in the energy sector, noting that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP) will mean less if other areas of co- operation are not exhausted for mutual interest.

She also cited the gas pipe- line to Uganda and the liquefied natural gas project (LNG) in Tanzania, which are going to add value to the EACOP project.

The President, however, requested the private sector in the two countries to seek the opportunities, pointing out that the governments are doing all they could to ensure their citizens benefit from the projects.

President Samia also spoke on investments in different areas so as to ensure the business is aligned to other sectors.

In the area of investment, she said the two countries have agreed to promote a lot of fruitful investments to entail forward and backward linkages and to accommodate the demand within the local and outside markets.

Similarly, over the past eight months the government carried out major legal and structural transformation which has contributed to more investments, specifically in the number of registered projects within the country.

Her list also included initiatives in electronic working permits’ application, and the amendments in the non-citizens employment law which currently permits 10 expatriates, instead of the previous five.

Equally, the establishment of the Tanzania Investment Call Centre to enhance effective communication and sup- port the private sector, citing that many countries advanced economically through the allocation of special economic zones, featured in her remark.

She reaffirmed the com- mitment to ensure that the two countries do away with all non tariff barriers frustrating trade between the two nations.

As such, the President pledged to introduce a subsidiary office for the Tanza- nia Ports Authority (TPA) in Uganda to promote ease of do- ing business between the two countries.

President Samia also assured her counterpart that Tanzania will procure sugar manufactured from Uganda to satisfy the need and a means to promote trade among the countries.

On his part, President Mu- seveni said once the crude oil pipeline is completed, it will be crucial for employment for both countries, especially Tanzania.

The Ugandan President disclosed that by effectively employing its resources, the country managed to transform itself from a nation of scarce products and food in 1986, to now guaranteeing surplus pro- duction.

He pointed out that the EAC was rich in resources but exploiting them required great wisdom for the betterment of the countries.

He said that Uganda was producing surplus sugar for consumption, but still imports industrial sugar which they could have produced.

“This is on the areas which could have been looked upon by our experts in collaboration with the private sector of the country,” said President Museveni.

Read original article

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.