Author: Padili Mikomangwa

The large-scale mining industry in Tanzania just got interesting.

On October 20th, the government of Tanzania and the mining companies previously managed by Acacia Mining, but now managed by Barrick Gold Corporation, strike a new partnership, to settle all disputes, which saw major reforms in the sub-sector in the past 3 years.

According to the government of Tanzania, the agreements have been submitted to the Tanzanian attorney general for review and legalization.

The new partnership comes, after—Acacia (now Barrick Gold), Tanzania’s largest gold producer was cleared by the Magufuli government and resumed its metal concentrates exportation after a series of regulations led by The Mining Commission of Tanzania Ministry of Minerals that impeded the export of the mineral.

Further, according to Barrick Gold, the terms of the agreement include payment of $300 million to settle all outstanding tax and other disputes; the lifting of the concentrate export ban; the sharing …

Tanzania’s smartphone’s network—Airtel Tanzania, has ushered a new mobile money service branded “Send With a withdraw fee”, emerging with a rather customized competitive advantage within the growing mobile money industry in Tanzania.

According to Tanzania Communications Authority (TCRA) June quarterly statistics, there are over 22.9 million mobile money accounts in Tanzania, responsible for around 260 million mobile money transactions.

Further, TCRA report shows that, there are over 43 million telcom subscribers, while Airtel Tanzania owns 26 per cent of the market share (over 11 million subscribers) and 18 per cent of the mobile money share.

The service which was launched on October 16, will enable Airtel Money customers in Tanzania, to send money to their counterparts differently compared to other networks, this time—all transactions will be executed with a built-in calculated sending fee, unequivocally offering a seamless service necessary for a mobile money take over, as elaborated by …

Sustainable development can’t be realized in Tanzania without a healthy population, that’s why the health sector has acquired a rather vital financial support from its development partner Germany to ameliorate, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) within the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) parameters.

According to a report by The Citizen, the grant was signed on 16^th October, at Ministry of Finance’s premises in commercial city—Dar es Salaam, witnessed by ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dotto James and Acting Germany Ambassador Jorg Herrera.

The grant comes at the time when insurance services are slated for adoption by the insurance industry in Tanzania. Per ministry of health records, more than 2 million households have been reached by the Tanzanian Community Health Fund (CHF), and more than 12.5 million beneficiaries, equivalent to 25 percent of the entire population in Tanzania.

READ: Tanzania focus on maternal health bears fruits as mortality drops

Patently, the grant …

The health sector in Tanzania holds a very crucial position in the welfare of the fast-growing economy in East Africa, but also, it requires robust improvements to serve millions of people seamlessly.

That is why, the 2019 Health Supply Chain Summit, taking place in commercial pulse—Dar es Salaam (from 15^th to 17^th of October), casts to the front, important discussions pertaining health sector’s essential development, including, creation of a health data system for effective control and supply of medicine and medical equipment over space and time.

The Tanzania Health Supply Chain Summit (THSCS) provides an opportunity for various supply chain key players to convene and share lessons learned, successes, challenges and best practices to improve health commodities supply chains in Tanzania.

The summit serves as a platform to positively influence practices and behaviors among government supply chain actors and stakeholders.

In that context, Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, expressed …

Livestock keeping is profitable in Tanzania, especially now, when livestock rearing gathers viable potential amidst growing meat, skin and diary demands.

The sub-sector undoubtedly generates millions to serious investors, but it stands to generate billions to the entire nation, under ameliorated sectorial strategies.

On March 10, 2019, Tanzania brought to life, the Livestock Master Plan (TLMP) which allocated over $ 608 million in its realization, 64 per cent of the funding is foreseen to be fetched from the private sector and 36 per cent originating from government funding.

The TLMP is a five-year plan strictly set up to address major challenges facing the sector and transform via guiding viable investments in major profitable subsectors.

In realization of the grand plan, the government of Tanzania requested: the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) provided technical assistance and training to the Tanzania Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries in a project funded by …

The government of Tanzania,  has carefully laid out its plans to boost the mining sector in the country.

The country is now adopting robust measures, within legal and operational lines to ensure the country gets optimum benefits from this. It has also announced plans to set up trading centers are established as well as spruce up value addition efforts.

Since Tanzania’s President John Magufuli came to power, various strategic sectors have been under heavy scrutiny and vital changes, necessary for a robust Tanzanian success story, primarily the minerals sector—a rather high-earning sector in Tanzania.

From the Acacia Mining saga to local securing sustainable small miners’ welfare, the government has immensely waged its efforts to improve mining operations and minerals trading in Tanzania, including: the erection of the Mererani wall (3 meters high, 24.5 kilometers long and worth over $2.6 million) and establishment of minerals trading centers across the country.

The …

The cashew nut season has just kicked off in Tanzania and the cash crop prospects are considerably getting richer, not only due to past learned experience but also, the strategy put in place by the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture.

Cashew nut has been the most foreign currency high earning crop in Tanzania. Available data from the Ministry of Agriculture, show that cashew nut generated over $ 565 million in the previous season 2017/2018, exceeding contributions garnered from cotton, coffee, and minerals.

Tanzania is one of the vital producers of cashew nut in East Africa and the rest of the continent at large, alongside Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Kenya and Ivory Coast.

Further, according to a report by Fresh From Kenya, on cashew nut industry overview in Africa (2018), indicated that: in 2011,  Tanzania scored 8^th position on the global scale and 4^th in the continent on cashew nut production output, …

Tanzania’s natural gas prices are set to be reviewed by the Ministry of Energy as the sector undergoes a major face-lift to improve taxation and revenue collectiong.

Under the leadership of President John Pombe Magufuli, Tanzania’s extractives sector has been undergoing a major overhaul to improve taxation and revenue collection within contractual agreements concomitant to the resources extracted from the country.  These are measures necessary for a Tanzanian oil and gas success story.

According to Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), natural gas exploration has been carried out since the 1950s, but it was in 1974 that gas discovery was made in Songo Songo Island.

The discovery made Tanzania known globally as a natural gas-rich nation in the region, which in return sparked interest for the nation to take its first steps to formalize the industry, including the birth of TPDC in 1973 and the enactment of the Petroleum (Exploration and …

Tanzanian government’s efforts to boost  its economy have shown slight improvement over the past 22 months.

According to statistics, whereas inflation has remained significantly below the medium target of 5.0 per cent and lower than the respective convergence criteria for EAC and SADC of maximum 8.0 per cent and 3 to 7 per cent over the past good six years, Bank of Tanzania (BoT), monthly economic review report reveals.

With the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 6.6 per cent, inflation in Tanzania has been taking a rather decent fall over the past month, whereby according to the report, in August the annual headline inflation was at 3.6 per cent compared to 3.7 per cent in the previous month.

According to the report, headline, food, non-food and core annual inflation rates have been decreasing since 2016, while food inflation peaked higher from November 2016 to November 2017, then taking a fall …

Tanzania is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, as credited by Africa Development Bank (AfDB). However, still most of its population lives in poverty.

This is according to World Poverty Clock, approximately 23 million people dwell in poverty in Tanzania.

Nonetheless, Tanzania has been taking poverty elimination serious over the past decade. Hence, according to the recent world bank open data, shows that, Tanzania has made concrete steps within the span of 15 years (2000 to 2015) in eliminating poverty.

Moreover, Tanzania has sustained a rather significant economical stride over the past years, its economy growing on  6 to 7 per cent a year . However, World Bank data indicated Tanzania, had 49 per cent of population living below $1.90 per day in 2011, compared to 55.1 in 2007.

On the other side of the mark, Tanzania’s Household Budget Survey (HBS)report (2018), paints a rather promising narrative, from 2007 …