Sustainable development will keep private sector thriving in Tanzania

Trade figures, according to French Embassy in Dar es Salaam, shows Tanzania imported goods worth 135 million euros while exported 70 million euros in 2016.

France Embassy's Economic and Trade Advisor, Beatrice Alperte said trade volume from either side was low as most are pharmaceutical from Paris and raw agricultural goods from Dar.
It is our hope that France-Tanzania Business Forum which took place recently in Dar es Salaam will alter the figures to better.

The private sector led four-day forum aimed at strengthening and nurturing trade initiatives whose ultimate goal is to improve the two countries' business partnership.

The event focused on sectors that will support the Tanzania strategy of industrialisation: Energy, including renewable energies, transport and digital solution sought how to provide capacity building to local businesses.

More than 200 people participated, including at least 50 French and Tanzanian companies. Tanzanian students from universities and technical high schools of Dar es Salaam also were invited.

It is open secret that French participation in East African bloc trading and investment was low compared to West Africa but we hope things would change. Total is well known in East Africa, but France have bigger companies as well on energy, IT, manufacturing with a number of subsidiaries. Total, one of the largest petrol-products distributors, has been operating in the country for some four decades.

The firm last week acquired GAPCO's assets in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania-- thus strengthening its logistics in the region. Big French companies which operate in East Africa, Africa and new ones attended the event including Total, Engie, Egis, Bouygues and the like.

Engie, a power company, through Power Corner last October, commissioned a mini electricity grid that is supplying solar power to Ketumbeine, a village that is home to 800 people, in Arusha.

The installation of a minigrid of solar panels, which will progressively be replicated throughout Africa, constitutes one of Engie's key objectives, which is to provide rural populations with access to environmentally- friendly energy.

Data shows that in 2015 Tanzania imported from France pharmaceuticals, and aircraft and related equipment comprised over 50 per cent of total volume. On the other hand France imported from Tanzania unmanufactured tobacco, precious stones--both semi and uncut stones--and coffee.

In the same vein, Tanzanian businessman Mohammed Dewji was announced as the winner of the 'Entrepreneur of the Year-Business Africa' Award in Paris, France last year.

Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF) who organised the first ever Forum on Youth and Entrepreneurship Africa, in partnership with the Choiseul Institute, awarded Dewji for the commendable impact he has had in driving a business that is emblematic of Africa's progress and success in this generation.

We believe long-term sustainable development will keep the private sector thriving in Tanzania and Africa as a whole. And in order for this to happen, private companies need to begin by including the poor as producers, suppliers, employees and consumers.

We believe also that France will start to see non-francophone East Africa as an equally attractive investment destination because of the rapid growth rates and political stability in the region.