Z’bar making great reforms in blue economy, says PS

ZANZIBAR: Zanzibar Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock Permanent Secretary, Ali Khamis Juma has said the government is making major reforms to ensure that the blue economy sector, including fishing and agriculture takes a big step forward to generate income and create employment in Isles.

He made the statement during the 1st Edition Africa’s top venture building forum held in Zanzibar, noting that currently they are embarking on modern irrigation agriculture that will increase the incomes of farmers.

He further said that the government is so concerned on the welfare of its people and determined to ensure that they benefit from the blue economy through the marine products in Zanzibar.

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In the two-day forum themed ‘Grow Africa Innovation and Economic Competition’ Mr Juma added: “We will strengthen these important sectors of agriculture, animals and the blue economy and in doing so, we are ready to cooperate with private sectors to see into that the youth benefit from the investment.”

On his part, a representative of the United Nations Development Program in Tanzania, (UNDP) Shigeki Komatsubara pledged their support to the initiative of fighting poverty in the Isle’s, saying that the approach will help in increasing economic growth.

On the goal of the conference, he said it will see into it that the youth are mobilized to be creative and come up with various entrepreneurship projects.

Earlier, CUBE Innovation Hub Civil Society Organization Executive Director, Said Suleiman, noted that in collaboration with international institutions they are more organized and will see into it that majority of the youth are self-employed in the agricultural sector and in blue economy in the production of sea product.