Ministry partners with Finland to revalitilise forest sector

FINLAND: Tanzania’s Ministry for Natural Resources and Tourism, in partnership with Finland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, is in the final stages of launching a transformative project aimed at revitalizing Tanzania’s forestry sector.

The announcement was made during a meeting in Finland between Tanzania’s Permanent Secretary for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Hassan Abbasi, and Finland’s Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry, Pekka Pesonen.

The initiative seeks to add significant value to Tanzania’s forestry sector, transforming it into a more commercially viable industry.

According to Dr. Abbasi Tanzania stands to gain valuable insights from Finland, whose forestry sector is a major economic driver.

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Dr Abbas noted that in 2022, Finland’s forestry industry generated 20 billion euro and created countless jobs and underscored the potential for Tanzania to replicate Finland’s success in boosting its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through sustainable forestry practices.

Finland has a strong history of supporting Tanzania’s forestry sector, notably through the Forvac project, which created 500,000 jobs. The new collaboration aims to build on this progress and further enhance the sector’s contribution to Tanzania’s economy.

On his part, Finland’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Pekka Pesonen reaffirmed Finland’s commitment to continued collaboration with Tanzania, highlighting the exchange of expertise in forest management, particularly in state-owned forestry, where Tanzania can benefit from Finland’s private-sector experience.