Dodoma. The government has directed public officials to do everything possible to remove obstacles facing investors, particularly in the industrial sector, to ensure factories operate without interruption, warning that production stoppages result in losses and discourage investment.
The call was made on Thursday, June 25, 2026, by the Minister for Industry and Trade, Judith Kapinga.
Minister Kapinga was speaking during a visit to Mainland Group Agro Process Tanzania, a sunflower and cottonseed oil processing factory in Veyula, Dodoma City.
Accompanied by her technical team, Ms Kapinga toured the facility to assess production and operations.
She directed officials to address challenges that can be resolved immediately and refer those requiring technical expertise or intervention from other authorities to the relevant government institutions.
“We need to build a strong private sector. A time must come when we, as government officials, accept that we should spend more time solving investors’ problems. We should not become accustomed to these challenges because that is not a good thing at all,” she said.
Commenting on production levels, Ms Kapinga said the factory’s infrastructure appeared underutilised because output remains below capacity, largely due to shortages of raw materials.
Furthermore, she said the factory receives only between 20 and 30 percent of its sunflower seed requirements during a production season, a situation that undermines productivity and limits employment opportunities that could otherwise be created.
The factory’s director, Jiawei Chen, said the company faces persistent difficulties in sourcing raw materials, particularly sunflower seeds, forcing it to diversify into cottonseed oil production to bridge the supply gap.
Mr Chen also identified inadequate electricity supply as a major challenge, saying it has repeatedly disrupted operations and prevented the factory from reaching its full production potential, even when raw materials are available.
Speaking on the shortage of seeds, the factory’s communications director, Ms Betty Mkwasa, said the plant requires 250 tonnes of sunflower seeds per day and about 80,000 tonnes annually, but at times receives only a quarter of that amount.
"Investment in the factory exceeds $60 million and that it has created employment for more than 400 people working in day and night shifts," she said.
Furthermore, she said, besides producing cooking oil, the company purchases crude oil from other processors for refining to improve quality, while also expanding livestock feed production using by-products generated during the refining process.
