Govt, businesses to discuss taxation

Dar es Salaam. The government will meet members of the business community to discuss taxation and investment climate in January.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Prof Adolf Mkenda, said the government was committed to holding the dialogue with business executives — local and foreign.

He told a Norway-Tanzania Energy Business seminar yesterday here: “We have compiled all laws that increase the cost of doing business. We will soon start the process of dialogue with investors. We have requisite institutions in place to facilitate the process of dialogue. We have all forms of building investor confidence.”

When opening the seminar, the deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Dr Juliana Pallangyo, said the government had put all issues relating to guidelines on investments in a transparent manner. “To further endorse private investments, the government has continued reviewing institutional setups, legal and regulatory frameworks in the energy sector.”

Norwegian ambassador Anne Marie Kaastad emphasised the importance of building a conducive environment for public and private sectors to work together in Tanzania.

There is a great need to build a friendly investment climate to attract many businesses in the energy sector, according to her.

Hosted by the Norwegian Embassy, the seminar attracted more than 80 business executives from Norway and Tanzania.