A Japanese firm, Nitori Co. Limited plans to invest 15 million US
dollars (over 22bn/-) in the manufacture of furniture and ceramic ware under
the Exports Processing Zones (EPZ) arrangement.
The new investment that targets to supply to Europe and American
markets will some 500 jobs for Tanzanians and boost the country’s annual
exports by 35 million US dollars (about 60bn/-), the company’s Senior Managing
Director Shoshim Komiya said in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.
The Managing Director who led a four-person delegation said Tanzania
was endowed with forestry and high quality clay soil, the key raw materials for
furniture and ceramic utensils, respectively.
“We are serious and need to invest in Tanzania to tap the huge
availability of raw materials,” said Komiya, hinting that the company already
has supply orders to meet in America and other developed countries.
He was
speaking at a brief meeting at the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA).
EPZA Investment Facilitation Officer Lameck Bohela said the potential
investor has had difficulties in getting the appropriate building under the EP
ZA infrastructure to install the machines for production.
“The (potential)
investor wants 10,000 square metres for phase one project that would involve
manufacture of ceramic utensils,” said Mr Bohela, noting that the available
buildings measures less than the required space.
The company is now under negotiations with private developers to rent
the building for its operations as stand alone EPZ. The option of allocating
land to the investor for construction of the factory buildings has also failed
because the investor only want a ready-made place to install the machines.
Lack of fully furnished infrastructure for industrial production is one
of the major constraints that impede potential investors from coming to
Tanzania, with reports saying that about 60 per cent of investors coming to the
country are not ready to waste time on construction.
“Many potential investors want already constructed buildings to install
their machines because, they argue, they are manufacturers…not real estate
developers,” Mr Bohela said, charging that the country is loosing multibillion
worth of investments due to lack of factory buildings.
EPZ programme was established following the enactment of the Export
Processing Zones Act, 2002, to provide for establishment of export oriented
investments within the designated zones.
EPZA data show that 700 million US dollars (over 1trn/-) worth of
investments have created 14,000 direct jobs, with 450 million US dollars (over
700bn/-) in exports since the EPZ scheme became operational about six years ago.
The programme objectives are to attract and encourage transfer of new
technology, attract and promote investment for export led industrialization,
create and expand foreign exchange earnings as well as increase employment and
development of skilled labour.
Source: The Daily News,http://www.dailynews.co.tz, reported by Masato Masato
0 comments :
Post a Comment