Why Tanzania is focusing on economy diplomacy

The government of Tanzania said yesterday that it is furthering its economic diplomacy agenda to ensure that Tanzania reaps the benefits of cordial relations with other countries.

Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Minister, Liberata Mulamula told Parliament that focus areas for the coming financial year include finding markets for Tanzania’s products.

She said this when presenting her docket’s Sh192.26 billion proposed budget for 2021/22.

Ms Mulamula added that considerable efforts would also be directed towards improving the investment climate to attract more investors.

“The ministry is also looking forward to increasing the number of tourist arrivals and learning opportunities abroad in addition to facilitating cooperation in the economic and social spheres.”

The government will also seek to ensure that Tanzanians living outside the country play a greater role in the development of their homeland.

Ms Mulamula said Tanzania would continue to be an active participant in the strengthening of regional trading blocs, including the East African community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

On this aspect, a team of experts tasked with collecting views on the proposed EAC Political Confederation will visit Tanzania in August.

The team, the minister said, was currently on a mission to collect views in all the six EAC member states of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan on the envisaged transformation of the EAC into a political confederation.

The EAC’s ultimate integration pillar will be the Political Federation preceded by the Customs Union, Common Market and Monetary Union, in that order.

The 2017 EAC Heads of State Summit adopted a political confederation as the transitional model to the Political Federation.

Ms Mulamula said Tanzania would also continue to participate in peacekeeping missions and promotion of peace, including in neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.

She added that Tanzania was currently stepping up security along its border with Mozambique where insurgents are battling government forces in Cabo Delgado Province.

Tanzania has in the past few months been engaged in a number of regional engagements that seek to cement the country’s economic diplomacy agenda.

These include the signing of an agreement with Uganda for the construction of the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline. President Samia Suluhu Hassan also visited Kenya recently.

The country was also engaged in the Sixth Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) meeting with Burundi where the two countries agreed to cooperate in a number of strategic areas, including infrastructure.

Ms Mulamula said the government had noted that the private sector was not adequately utilising Tanzania’s membership in regional trading blocs.

She noted, however, the focus will be on continued partnership with the private sector, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and the media in giving public education on various opportunities arising from the country’s participation in international cooperation.

Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security Committee urged the government to ensure that it releases the Sh20 billion in development funds approved by the House last year.

Mr Vita Kawawa said when presenting the committee’s views that the funds were needed to renovate the ministry’s buildings, including the one in Washington, which requires Sh3.86 billion.