Trade minister unveils over 170bn/- budget

Dr Kigoda

The Industry, Trade and Marketing minister, Dr Abdallah Kigoda, has unveiled his ministry’s 170.2bn/- budget, with 60bn/- of the 131.38bn/- development budget set for improving special economic zones as well as economic processing zones across the country.

Dr Kigoda said out of the 170.2bn/-, 38.82bn/-  will be used to pay salaries and other office expenses.

According to the minister, the 60bn/- will be used to compensate wananchi who would be evicted from their land to pave the way for implementation of SEZ and EPZ in various parts of the country.

He named some of the wananchi who would be compensated as those in Bagamoyo, Kurasini (both in Dar es Salaam), Mara, Ruvuma, Tanga and Kigoma. The minister said the government has already evaluated properties in the named areas.

The minister said his ministry in collaboration with various regional administrations has identified various areas for establishment of EPZ and SEZ in Njombe, Geita, Njombe, Katavi and Simiyu. 

“The money will also be used to implement the first phase of the Bagamoyo SEZ, which will include establishment of investment infrastructure,” he said.

Dr Kigoda said 20 regions have identified areas where the Economic Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) could establish SEZ and EPZ. The minister said the decision by those regions will reduce the challenges of finding areas for investments.

In 2012/2013 the minister said his ministry will design a master plan to establish strategic market in various boarders of the country. He named the areas as Kagera, Mara, Shinyanga and Kigoma.

Currently, Dr Kigoda said his ministry was in discussion with Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB) so that the bank could fund the projects.

Through the government through SIDO will put emphasize in distributing agriculture produce processing machine to villages across the country. According to the minister SIDO will complete the building process of its office in Manyara.

Source: The Citizen, http://www.thecitizen.co.tz, reported by Frank Kimboy

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