Dodoma ready for diplomats, says Magufuli

Dar es Salaam. The city of Dodoma is safe and has all the important facilities to accommodate members of the diplomat community, President John Magufuli said yesterday.

Dr Magufuli made the statement shortly after he presented 67 letters of offer to heads of diplomatic missions and international agencies resident in the country.

The government has issued the land ownership documents free of charge in its efforts to encourage relocation of organisations to the country’s new capital city. Each of the diplomatic missions has been given 5.5 acres of land.

Dr Magufuli also asked the envoys to encourage business communities in their countries to invest in Dodoma, and benefit from a number of business opportunities.

“The city is also doing well in terms of revenue collection as it has surpassed its target. The city has collected Sh24.2 billion in revenue from the target of Sh19 billion,” he said.

According to the President, Dodoma has done very well compared to five other cities including Dar es Salaam that collected Sh15.3 billion, missing their revenue target of Sh16.4 billion. Others are Arusha (Sh10.3 billion against the Sh13.9billion target), Mwanza (Sh9.3 billion against the target of Sh12.5billion, Tanga (Sh9.1 billion, almost halfway from Sh18.3billion target) and Mbeya that collected Sh4.2billion, nearly 50 percent below their Sh9.6 billion target.

President Magufuli said he planned to relocate to Dodoma before the end of the year, and found it necessary to ensure that all the necessary facilities were in place for members of the diplomatic community “to be able to join us.”

On infrastructure, President Magufuli said he has instructed the Chief Executive Officer of Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) Patrick Mfugale to announce a tender for construction of the new Msalato airport that would allow big aircraft to land in Dodoma directly from any country.

Responding to the President’s statement, the Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps who is also the Rwandan Ambassador to Tanzania Eugene Kayihura thanked the government for providing them with plots, but said they would first need to consult with their governments on how the plots would be developed. “This is good and encouraging, we thank the government of Tanzania for this initiatives…”

Minister of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development William Lukuvi said the government would offer all the necessary assistance related to land ownership and relocation to the diplomatic missions.

Earlier, the Dodoma regional commissioner Dr Binilith Mahenge told the envoys that the regional administration was well prepared to host embassies and other international organisations.

“We have good supplies of clean water and electricity, we are also continuing to improve the road network,” he said.

Early last year, the South African High Commissioner Mr Thami Mseleku told this paper that his high commission would be ready to move to Dodoma, once all the necessary facilities for members of the diplomatic community were available.

He mentioned these as good hospitals, security, infrastructure, schools that have international standards, adequate supply of water and electricity.