Tanzania Government to reclaim idle cashew factories

Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli issued a strong warning to owners of cashew nut processing factories that the government will not hesitate to repossess them if they are not operational.

The President said some owners of the factories, which were privatised, including a former minister in the third phase government (whom he did not name), had failed to develop them.

The President also urged some of the owners of the privatised cashew nut processing plants that were currently operational to increase their capacity to process the product.

He was speaking during a ceremony to open Mbonde Health centre in Masasi during his official tour of Mtwara Region.

“We will repossess all cashew nut processing industries, which were privatised if their owners will fail to develop them,” warned the President.

He instructed the minister of Agriculture, Mr Japhet Hasunga, to make sure that his directives were implemented immediately. According to the President, the owner of a dormant plant who will resist implementation of the directive should be taken to court.

“If you have failed to operate a plant, which was handed to you for privatisation ten years ago, you will be forced to pay the government the profits, which would have accrued for the same period,” said the President.

He instructed the permanent secretary in the ministry of Agriculture to remain in the region to inspect all the processing industries.

Meanwhile, Mr Hasunga noted that 31, 370. 8 tonnes of cashew nuts worth Sh103.4 billion was collected from the district.

“Most of the people involved in agriculture in the district are large scale farmers whose payments have not been released, but most of the small scale farmers have been paid already,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, President John Magufuli has directed the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) to issue an environment permit in the next five days that will allow China and India to export coal form Ruvuma through the Mtwara port.

The directives came after the minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Mr Isack Kamwelwe, raised concerns that investors’ plans were delayed by the lack of a permit from the responsible institutions.

President Magufuli was today gracing the opening of the Mangaka-Nakapanya-Tunduru-Mtambaswala road in Mtwara Region.