INDUSTRY and Trade minister,Dr Selemani Jafo said that,his ministry in collaboration with President’s Office, Planning and Investment ministry and the office of treasury registrar will set proper procedures in making sure all non-functioning privatisatized industries in the country to be revived and developed aimed to increasing employments,national income as well as growing country’s economy.
Dr Jafo said those in Tanga after toured six industries with the objective to talk with business people and industrial owners as well as seeing their operations whereby he was faced with various woes that need to be solved aimed to develop them.
He visited Tanga Fresh Milk processing factory,Wilmar Tanzania Limited soap factory, AFRITEX textile mill,Pembe Wheat Flour Mills and Kilimanjaro Cement Factory as well as Tanga Port.
Among visited industries only three factories are currently continuing with operations which are Tanga Fresh Milk processing factory, Wilmar Tanzania Limited soap factory and Kilimanjaro Cement Limited but AFRITEX and Pembe Wheat Flour Mills are not operating.
He also faced claims from industrial owners including the government’s levy on cement bags,regular electricity outage that caused loss for industrial machines and some closed industries led to discontinuation of employment of at least 2,000 people.
” In Tanga region there are some industries are working well,but I’m discomforted with those privatised one and not functioning”
” My call to you,develop them for the sake of the country’s economy and do not turn them as godown or assets for asking loans and leave those who depended on those industries to get employment stay jobless,” stressed Dr Jafo.
Responding on challenges raised by industrial owners on electricity outage that caused loss to machines due to high voltage electrical shorts,he directed Weight and Measurements Agency(WMA) to conduct thorough inspection to all industries electric meters to ensure are working effectively purposely to get fairness between, business people, owners and TANESCO.
He further assured them of an electric challenge gradually being resolved after the government made great efforts after constructing Mega East Africa Hydro Electricity Power Plant(JNHPP).
” In collaboration with the finance ministry,Investment and Planning ministry, registrar of treasury together with sectoral institutions to make sure all raised challenges are solved aimed to revamp Tanga as an industrial region and economic hub like past early 1960s ,” pointed out Jafo.
For his part,Tanga district commissioner, Jafari Kubecha said due to the government continuing to improve and create a business conducive environment including modernising of Tanga port will help to unlock potential and entail other investment opportunities into the industrial sector.
Earlier, Kilimanjaro Cement Industry managing director, Andrew Dimello has appealed to the government to scrap the government levy of 1,000/- imposed on every bag of cement by explaining it costs him in operating the industry.
” I would like to ask the government to remove this levy, I have a loan that needs to be repaid,and this levy is a big burden,”he said.
For his side,the Pembe Wheat Flour Mills assistant manager,Abdulla Saleh said his factory stopped doing activities due to high voltage electricity shortages that destroyed some important machines and cut off employment of almost 600 workers.