Use plastic water pipes made in Tanzania: PM

Arusha. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has instructed local authorities implementing water projects to purchase plastic pipelines made in the country in a bid to support local investors.

Mr Majaliwa issued the directive in Arusha yesterday when he inaugurated the multi-billion-dollar Lodhia Plastic Industry, where he underlined the need for City, Municipal and district councils to deliberately procure the locally produced plastic pipelines.

“The government policy is deliberately inclined towards bolstering the local industries,” PM said, stressing that it was high time for officials to stop hatred against local investors.

To start with, he ordered the Arusha Urban Water supply and Sanitation Authority (AUWSA), which plans to execute a Sh440bn water project to end water blue in Arusha city in the near future to source all plastic pipelines within as a measure to back local investors.

Mr Majaliwa assured the local investors that the government would do all means necessary to protect them as an appreciation for supporting the state in creating employment to local people.

For his party, Chairman of Lodhia Group of Industries, Arun Lodhia, underscored the importance of the government for embracing local content concept, if the industrialization blueprint is to succeed.

“Government must be firm on all projects to source materials locally as a deliberate measures to support local industries” Mr Lodhia said.

Lodhia Plastic Industries Managing Director, Sailesh Pandit, told the premier that his factory has been facing difficulties in the local market, owing to a smear campaign instigated by unscrupulous local officials.

“Mr Prime Minister, in unprecedented move, some contractors have been denied to purchase our plastic pipelines by local officials, for unknown reasons” Mr Pandit told the PM, amid applause from the audience.