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Tanzanian government ready to work with private sector: president

Xinhua, May 6, 2017 Adjust font size:

Tanzanian President John Magufuli said Saturday his government was ready to work with the private sector which he described as the engine of the economy.

Magufuli made the assurance in a meeting with members of the private sector under the Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC) at State House in Dar es Salaam.

The meeting was held following reports of weakening investor confidence due to concerns about the economy, policy unpredictability and tax crackdown targeting big companies.

Magufuli dispelled sentiments that his government was "anti-business," saying he was pro-business, but his administration would not tolerate tax dodging, which was rampant in Tanzania in previous years.

The president ordered the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and other key government institutions to start operating 24 hours a day effective from next Monday to boost business activities in the country.

Along with TRA, the president also instructed the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) to operate 24 hours, saying the state-run bodies should emulate the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) in working around the clock to facilitate trade.

Magufuli issued the order after some members of the business community complained at the meeting about extreme delays in clearing of cargo for up to 14 days, which they said was partly caused by poor coordination of government authorities responsible for issuing various permits.

The president said Tanzania can not compete effectively with ports in neighboring countries for international transit trade if it does not improve efficiency at Dar es Salaam port, the country's main gateway.

"The private sector is an important ally for my administration in its quest to develop the nation," he said.

He dismissed claims from some members of the business community that there appeared to be a lack of trust on the government's part towards the private sector.

The TNBC is a 40-member dialogue forum with equal representation from both the private sector and the government.

The agenda for the meeting included a review of Tanzania's business environment, policy measures to fast-track industrialization and development of industrial parks.

The meeting also discussed transformation of the country's agriculture sector and establishment of official ministerial public-private dialogue structures. Endit