UK to explore trade opportunities in Tanzania

Industry and Trade minister Kitila Mkumbo briefs reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday about the preparations for the Tanzania-UK Trade and Investment Forum to be held in the city on Tuesday. Left is British High Commissioner to Tanzania David Concar.PHOTO |MICHAEL MATEMANGA 

By  Ephrahim Bahemu

Mwandishi wa habari za uchumi na biashara

Mwananchi

What you need to know:

  • Dedicated business-to-business sessions will work through challenges and opportunities in a range of sectors.
  • Parallel government talks will build on efforts by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her administration to improve the business environment and enable the growth of a strong private sector to support job creation and economic growth.

Dar es Salaam. UK Prime Minister’s trade envoy to Tanzania John Woodcock is expected to make a five-day visit to the country, starting tomorrow.

While in the country, Mr Woodcock will attend the first Tanzania-UK business forum to take place on Tuesday in the city.

The forum will jointly be opened by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and Mr Woodcock, whereby over 125 business representatives will be in attendance, with online discussion open to businesses in both countries.

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Dedicated business-to-business sessions will work through challenges and opportunities in a range of sectors.

Parallel government talks will build on efforts by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and her administration to improve the business environment and enable the growth of a strong private sector to support job creation and economic growth.

This will be the first visit by the trade envoy to Tanzania since taking up the position in August. Mr Woodcock met President Hassan in the UK on October 31, this year.

The trade envoy will also hold high-level meetings with Foreign Affairs minister Liberata Mulamula, Industry and Trade minister Kitila Mkumbo and Investment minister Geoffrey Mwambe.

Mr Woodcock will engage with businesses and investors in Dar es Salaam and Arusha in a range of meetings that show the breadth and depth of the UK’s trade and investment relationship with Tanzania.

Yesterday, Mr Mkumbo and British High Commissioner to Tanzania David Concar held a press meeting on Mr WoodCock’s visit and the business forum.

The minister said Mr Woodcock’s visit is an important opportunity, considering that the UK has now withdrawn from the European Union and the business rate between the two countries was still low.

He said the rate of the value of Tanzanian products sold to the UK is still low and Mr Woodcock’s visit will be the opportunity of accessing markets for various agri-products including tourism and the blue economy.

“Tanzania and the UK have close bilateral relations for a long time. According to the statistics of the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), the UK takes the second position of investing in the country with 945 projects worth $5.42 billion (Sh12.4 trillion) and employed at least 275, 384 people,” said Mr Mkumbo.

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