Speaking in an interview at the Tanzania-Mauritius business community exhibition and businessman meeting in Dar es Salaam, TanTrade Director for Trade and Export, Fidelis Mugenyi, said that there is a need for the Tanzanian business community to tap opportunities available in Mauritius and export their goods and services.
Fidelis also said that the volume of trade from Tanzania to Mauritius is not convincing as compared to what Mauritius brings to the country, as in 2013, Tanzania exports to Mauritius were worth only US$2.1 million compared to imports which were at US$16.4 million.
“The Tanzanian business community has to take advantage of the cordial relationship we enjoy with Mauritius to export their products to Mauritius, the market is vibrant for tobacco, coffee, cotton, cashew nuts, tea and cloves,” he said.
He pointed out that imported products from Mauritius to the country are stones and glasses, textiles and clothing, vegetables, food products, capital goods and transportation equipment.
“I believe that this event will usher in a new era for intensified trade and economic cooperation between these two countries. I therefore recommend that similar events be organised more frequently to promote closer trade and investment,” he said.
Speaking at the sideline of the meeting and exhibition, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments Director for Trade Promotion and Marketing, Odilo Majengo (pictured), urged Tanzanian traders to collaborate with their Mauritian counterpart to penetrate and exploit opportunities available over there.
Majengo also said that the government encourages partnerships between Tanzania and Mauritius business communities.
He told the business community from Mauritius that they have a wide market for their goods, noting the country’s strategic geographic position and being a member of the East Africa Community (EAC) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) give the country more competitive and comparative advantages.
On his part, organisers of the event, Talemwa Investment Consulting Company (TICC) Managing Director David Lutabana said that the event creates valuable network opportunities and promotes improved trade between Tanzania and Mauritius.
“The event brought together buyers and investors from small, mid-sized and large businesses of the business communities from both countries. This was a chance for industry leaders from various sectors to come together and discuss business opportunities which prevail between the two destinations,” he said.
Lutabana commended efforts by the Tanzanian business community to ensure a strong and serious partnership with their counterparts from Mauritius to be able to benefit in terms of business undertakings.
He told Tanzanians that Mauritius is highly developed technologically; therefore partnering with them would bring changes for Tanzania businesses.
The two-day event held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JICC), in Dar es Salaam, was organised by TICC in collaboration with Enterprise Mauritius, TanTrade and Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA).
Enterprise Mauritius Manager, Rajen Subbamah, said that Mauritius has achieved, with hard work, the status of an upper middle income nation with thriving diverse industries and strong ties with all other continents.
“To achieve this transformation, Mauritius engaged in aggressive economic diversification, first using the proceeds of its once dominant sugar industry to build a strong manufacturing base, and then broadening into services sectors, especially tourism,” he said.
He also said that Mauritius has a multi-pillar economy comprising textiles and clothing, agro-business, seafood, light engineering, jewellery, printing and publishing, luxury items, tourism and hospitality, logistics and financial services.
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