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Minister reveals EU set to review bloc partnerships

Dodoma. Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation deputy minister Damas Ndumbaro has said a two-day summit of ministers in the capital Brussels, Belgium, resolved to review the current ACP-EU Partnership Agreement (CPA) arguing that the two instruments were outdated.

Besides being outdated, Dr Ndumbaro also said yesterday that the agreements favoured other countries at the expense of Tanzania’s national interests.

He said three areas needed to be given priorities in the review of ACP-EU Partnership Agreement (CPA) whose deadline is February 29, 2020.

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These include economic empowerment of the ACP countries, thorough dialogue on larger interests of the countries and the agreement not to be associated with other agreements whose talks between the EU and ACP countries continue.

Dr Ndumbaro said that during the summit, Tanzania suggested the addition of cashew nuts, cotton and coffee in the 2019 programme of ACP intended to improve the value chain of agricultural products.

“This programme is being funded by the EU and a total of Euro 125 million has been set aside for it,” he said.

Dr Ndumbaro said that Tanzania asked the EU through its ACP Private Sector Development Strategy to look at the possibilities of coming up with a friendly system for the ACP countries, including supporting the private sector of those countries.

Another proposal made by Tanzania is for the European Investment Bank (EIB), which funds the programme, to start negotiations with the former and see the manners in which the bank can support the private sector in terms of soft loans and credits.

“We seized the opportunity to assure the ACP countries and the EU over the presence of conducive environment for investment in Tanzania,” said Dr Ndumbaro.

“We also informed them of the new government blueprint intended to improve business and investment environment in the country,” he said.

Another issue discussed at the summit, according to Dr Ndumbaro, was what he called a “misunderstanding over the signing of the Economic-Agreements Partnership (EPAs).”

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