Tanzania eyes a pie of the $30 billion Japan funding

Dar es Salaam. The government is seeking a pie of $30 billion (about Sh70 trillion) that Japan has pledged to disburse to Africa in the next three years.

This could be attested to the government’s presentation to the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad8) eight projects worth $1.3 billion (about Sh2.99 trillion) that Tanzania was implementing.

Some of the projects that were presented during the meeting held in Tunis, Tunisia could in one way or another need financial support from Japan.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said the projects that the government presented last week included Morogoro-Dodoma road renovation at a tarmac level, irrigation project in the Lake Victoria basin, Lugoda (Mufindi) water supply project and Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute capacity building.

Others are the construction of a modern fish port, the National Fish Quality Control Laboratory, renovation of Wete Fish port and Mkuranga-Somanga-Fungu Line for power supply.

“I got an opportunity to share with the meeting’s participants a number of projects that we are implementing in the country,” said the Premier in a statement availed to media yesterday.

He also disclosed that the government had requested the meeting for the financial support for Tanzania to complete its Arusha-Holili road project, Kigoma Port and Water infrastructure improvement project in Zanzibar.

“The three projects need $343.8 million (about Sh790.7 billion),” said the Premier.

Out of the amount, $221 million is for the Arusha-Holili road project, $98.7 million for the Water project in Zanzibar and $24.1 million is meant for Kigoma Port.

He also said during the meeting the government requested for it to be given a priority when it came to the agriculture sector so that it could broaden the market scope of the country’s produce.

“We need to make sure that we have food security and surplus to sell outside the country,” said the Premier.

Mr Majaliwa also held meetings with leaders of the Japan Tobacco International Board (JTI), Mitsubishi and Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) president.

He called on the JTI board chairman Mutsuo Iwai to keep the momentum going when it came to purchasing tobacco from farmers.

“We have requested them to buy more tobacco so that farmers could have more confidence,” said the Prime Minister.

“They have a processing industry. So, we believe they can buy more.”

Mr Majaliwa also convinced Mitsubishi vice president Yasuteru Hirai to set up the vehicles assembly plant instead of importing the same from Japan.

He also called for the company to consider investing in the agriculture sector, fertilizer production, to be precise.