CCM says to create eight million jobs

Dodoma. CCM plans to undertake several economic development endeavours during the next five years in efforts to create up to eight jobs if it wins the presidency in October elections.

This is contained in the ruling party’s draft manifesto for the 2020 General Election, which was distributed to delegates here yesterday.

The party, which has officially endorsed its chairman, President John Magufuli, as its flag-bearer for the Union presidency election and Dr Hussein Mwinyi as its flag-bearer for the Zanzibar top office, believes that it has what it takes to propel Tanzania’s economic growth to new heights and create millions of jobs for Tanzanians in a span of five years.

“The mission, and the specific goals, of the fifth phase administration for the period from 2020 to 2025 is to sustain the achievements that have been registered during the period between 2015 and 2020,” reads a statement in the ruling party’s pamphlet that specifically carries the Curriculum vitae for its Union presidential candidate, Dr Magufuli.

Apart from sustaining and further improving the delivery of social services across the country, President Magufuli’s second term will create eight million jobs in both the formal and informal sectors.

The party pledges that it will do so by building a modern, inclusive, competitive economy which will embrace various needs of Tanzanians of all walks.

It says further that economic growth will specifically be built on a sound industrial base, services sector and ultra-modern infrastructure.

The ruling party pledges to sustain its tempo of building strategic infrastructure projects and create an enabling environment for Tanzanians to undertake their income-generating activities more easily.

CCM’s government will also improve the welfare of workers across all sectors of the economy.

The draft manifesto shows that if re-elected, President Magufuli would remain a busy man throughout his second term.

In the draft manifesto, which is still being subjected to further scrutiny and improvement before it becomes an official document in August, pledges that the government will strengthen the management of production agreements and contracts.

It will also build the capacity of locals in the extraction and processing of Tanzania’s God-given wealth.

In efforts to attract more investors, the party pledges that the government it will form would maintain the tempo of setting aside land for investment purposes.

Improvement of telecommunication services as a way of improving delivery of social services and simplifying the conduct of economic activities across the country also ranks high on the ruling party’s agenda for the period between 2020 and 2025.

With Kiswahili becoming an official language of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and some countries like South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe announcing that they would introduce the language as an optional subject in schools, CCM argues in its manifesto that the move was well-orchestrated to help the country benefit more from the language.

The pledge is to sustain the country’s political, economic and cultural diplomacy with a view to ensuring that Kiswahili is fully used across member states of the East African Community (EAC), Sadc, African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).

Jobs in agriculture, livestock and fisheries

Dr Magufuli’s second term would also focus on revolutionizing agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors. This will not only assure the country of food security but it will also ensure that farmers, livestock keepers and fishermen are also able to effectively contribute to the national economy.

The party also seeks to put special emphasis on stimulating the creation of industries that would source their raw materials from farming, fisheries, livestock and mining sector activities in the country.

The draft manifesto has also covered the youth, whom the party seeks to economically empower; link them with issuers of affordable loans and grant them training so that they can undertake entrepreneurship activities more efficiently.

CCM says in its draft manifesto that Tanzanian youth would be given special priority when it comes to securing jobs in the country’s strategic projects.

They will also be empowered so they can effectively take part in cultural, sporting and artistry undertakings and thus be able to raise their economic positions and improve their health.

Social services

If the draft document gets endorsed without major alterations and if Dr Magufuli gets re-elected, then Tanzanians would rest assured that his second term would ensure that every village is connected to electricity by 2025.

At least 85 percent of rural dwellers will have access to clean and safe water by 2025 if President Magufuli gets reelected and if the draft manifesto gets approved without major changes towards the end of next month.

In urban areas, the population with access to safe and clean water, the draft says, would rise to 95 percent while in Zanzibar, access to safe and clean water will be by over 95 percent of the population by the year 2025.

Education will remain on the government’s development agenda and so is health, the ruling party’s draft manifesto reveals.

In the same vein, the draft document, if not much altered, will see the government working out a plan that will seek to improve the quality of housing in Tanzania.