Author: Giza Mdoe

Remittances to low and middle-income economies have enjoyed considerably strong growth over the last year, a sign of economic recovery as nations resume normalcy post-Covid-19.

According to the latest World Bank’s migration and development, analysis show a 7.3 per cent growth to clock $589 billion this year. Overall speaking, despite the devastating effects of the Covid-19 lock downs and resulting economic slowdown, remittances is one area that remained strong as the Diaspora did its best to continue sending money home.

The World Bank says last year, while other areas struggle, remittances showed resilience slipping down slightly by only 1.7 per cent and as mentioned, this despite the global recession due to Covid-19.

Generally speaking, remittance inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa grew by 6.2 per cent to clock $45 billion this year. The World Bank is optimistic that next year, remittance inflows will grow by 5.5 per cent riding on the back …

Tanzania has taken a firm stand against gender abuse in all its forms, at home, at the workplace and in universities as well.

Speaking as he launched the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (GBV) (25 November – 10 December) Tanzania’s  Prime Minister Kassim Majalliwa said the law must take its course and end GBV in all its manifestations.

Even though this year, the global campaign marks its 30th year but yet even today, 1 in 3 women and girls worldwide still experiencing violence, warns UN Women. Underlining these numbers, at the same event, Dar es Salam Regional Commissioner, Amos Makala said:

“I had a tour to listen to citizens’ grievances, 30 per cent of the grievances I received were on the challenges of violence and sexual harassment.”

Tanzania’s Prime Minister acknowledged this fact and also pointed out that sexual corruption incidents are rampant in higher learning institutions. …

While others are still skeptical around the world, crypto currency is not only taking root in Africa but is now starting to bear fruit. The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced it launching its own national digital currency, the eNaira.

This announcement makes Nigeria the first African country to have a central bank-backed digital currency.

Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele says the currency will serve to accelerate financial inclusion in the country of over 213 million people. A lot of African countries are taking only baby steps towards allowing the use of cryptocurrencies and may are warning their public to be wary.

However, Nigeria is proving why it is Africa’s biggest economy with its Central Bank envisioning the crypto option will accelerate financial inclusion and even allow for cheaper and faster remittances.

“This digital money, the cryptocurrency, will allow us to have easier targeted social interventions, as well as help …

In June, the Voice of America reported that a bomb had gone off at a market in Tigray at about 1 pm, right when the market would be at its busiest time. At least 43 people were killed and dozens of others wounded.

This was June 22, a day after Ethiopia held its sixth national elections and a fortnight from the commencement of the second filling of the GERD.

Will fighting in Tigray deter Ethiopia’s GERD plans?…

The report cited several African countries as the source of mukula rosewood feeding the world’s illegal market. The report points at several high government officials in the countries, including Zambia. The report also calls for instituting a zero export quota on mukula; however, two years down the road after the CITES resolution, much remains to be desired on a commitment to upholding the protection of mukula trees. 

The report raised serious concern about the implementation of the recent international protection granted to the threatened mukula tree by the CITES. 

As of the sitting of the CITES back in 2019, the EIA estimates that over 50 40-foot containers of mukula logs had been illegally exported every single month between 2017 and 2019, and that investigation focused on Zambia alone. …

African countries have dire shortage of energy supply and many cannot even meet their minimum required base-load, so why is a continent rich in uranium, so slow to use this clean energy source to meet its power supply needs?

The answer lies in the world’s fear for nuclear armament, that is to say, should African countries be allowed to enrich uranium, they may also be able to arm themselves with nuclear weapons; at least that is the broad simplified query.

So is it feasible to consider commercial nuclear power for say sub-Saharan Africa, especially in light of advanced nuclear technologies and their potential to overcome the continents major challenges to development like lack of reliable power.

Even though Africa is home to a diverse range of energy resources like oil and gas and strong hydro-potential most of the continent still faces major power infrastructural deficit that analysts estimate would cost …

The government of Tanzania has received 1.3tri/- as Covid-19 relief package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Now the government has announced plans to implement a score of projects that will be financed with this fund in a move it says, will help the private sector’s liquidity.

As part of its own fiscal policies to cushion the economy from the negative effects of the global pandemic, the government, through the Central Bank has also released another 1tri/- to commercial banks in a bid to increase their lending capacity.

With these funds, the Central Bank released funding and IMF funding that goes into implementing national projects, the private sector is empowered to borrow and win project tenders and as such increase money circulation in the economy.

The strategy is meant to back the economy which had slowed down due to reduced demand which in turn reduced produced production stagnating the whole …

Youth unemployment is a global concern but in less developed countries, it makes the difference between economic stability and retardation.

For East Africa, youth unemployment endangers the future of the region, especially as the world moves more and more to a technology-based digital economy. The need to educate and create employment opportunities for youth is of more urgency now than ever before.

For example in Tanzania, the national unemployment rate for 2020 was 2.6 per cent, a 0.2 increase from the previous year. However, when you look at youth unemployment the figure is much higher. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) youth unemployment stands at r 13 per cent.

“This is why we have set up the Daraja La Ajira Expo,” explains  Peter John (PBDT) CEO of the expo slotted for 26 through to the 29 of August in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

‘Daraja La Ajira’, which literally translates …

For the third year in a row, Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park has been crowned the ‘Best National Park in Africa.’

Impressive and commendable, but is Tanzania capitalizing on this accreditation?

The World Travel Awards (WTA) have recognized ‘the cradle of mankind’ as Africa’s top tourist destination. Tanzania, as a country, was voted the top tourist destination. To put it in WTA’s words; “Tanzania – with its national parks, wildlife and palm-fringed beaches – was voted Africa’s Leading Destination…”

Such accolades should translate to having tourists visiting the park increase every year compared to other national parks on the continent and by default, it should equally mean pocketing much more tourism revenues.

That is however not the case. If we leave out Egypt which, despite being on the continent is actually considered a Middle Eastern region per the United Nation’s World Tourism Organization, the crown for receiving the largest number of …

After major reforms that rocked its mineral and energy sectors less than a decade ago, mineral and energy-rich Tanzania is again doing an overhaul of the two sectors, this time not to short leash investors but rather, to ‘rebuild broken bridges.’

A key area that is slotted for a facelift is the very lucrative Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector which the country’s new Energy Minister January Makamba shortlisted as a sector of much interest that is yet to meet its full potential.

The sector minister was firm, change is coming to the sector and since charity begins at home, for starters, the board of the country’s government-owned power supply monopoly the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) has been ‘gassed out’ and a new board brought in to breathe fresh air to the ailing entity.

Announcing the new board mid this month, the minister said; “We just started with Tanesco …