Mwinyi pushes for Africa to uplift economies
ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has implored African ambassadors posted in Tanzania to cement corporation and fully utilise available economic opportunities for the benefits of all countries.
Speaking to the envoys upon completion of their three-day tour of the spice islands at State House yesterday, President Mwinyi asked his visitors to help Zanzibar to internationally market its tourism potential.
The envoys were in Zanzibar to explore investment opportunities and other cooperative areas in which their countries can work with Tanzania.
President Mwinyi said it’s high time the African countries united and explored the available resources to “Uplift our economies and exchange experiences to attain true development.”
Dr Mwinyi boasted of massive riches in spices and attractive white beaches, requesting the visitors to effectively play ambassadorial role for Zanzibar tourism marketing and attraction of more visitors from their countries to visit Zanzibar.
He challenged the ambassadors to explore partnership and investment opportunities in tourism, water transport and transportation; fishing and fish farming; oil and gas; as well as spice farming in which Zanzibar is potentially rich.
The president explained that tourism is the backbone of the country’s economy, contributing 30 per cent of the national income besides promoting beach tourism.
He further asked the envoys to explore more conference tourism opportunities and investment to further support Zanzibar in attraction of more tourists from other parts of the world.
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President Mwinyi told his visitors that marine transport and transportation sector has many business potentials, which unite African nations in the ocean corridors, saying: “Together we can do huge business if the sector is strengthened.”
He asked the ambassadors to support Zanzibar and share their experience in fishing and fish farming to benefit from the oceanic resource.
Talking on oil and gas, President Mwinyi said Zanzibar has discovered huge gas resource and it has already started the process to allocate gas blocks for the harvest of the natural resources.
The visiting ambassadors commended the impressive development changes in the country within a short period of Dr Mwinyi’s presidency, citing construction of key infrastructure—road, airports and ports—for special applause.
The group leader Dr Ahamada El Badaoui Mohamed said it’s high time for African embassies to collaborate especially in development issues.
He described Zanzibar as a potentially rich country, with many opportunities that can benefit African countries, economically. The envoy assured President Mwinyi that the visitors will widely advertise Zanzibar tourism potentials in their respective countries.
Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania Issack Jenga said African countries can collaborate and support each other to avoid hard conditioned loans from developed countries.
The entourage of envoys from Burundi, Comoro, Kenya, Malawi, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia arrived at State House led by Zanzibar Minister for Tourism and Heritage Mudrik Ramadhani Soraga and other officials from the ministry.
