Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania over the weekend.
Tata International Africa plans expansions for Tanzania, Malawi
Tata International Africa is expanding its footprint into Tanzania and as a trusted John Deere dealer to support the fast-growing agricultural and construction markets, the global trading and distribution company said in a statement on Sunday.
In collaboration, Tata and John Deere will provide equipment dedicated to the success of their customers, to those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, clothes, and infrastructure.
Jaco Beyers, Managing Director of John Deere AME, said in the statement that the company is committed to living out its strategy of providing customers with the best products, service, and aftermarket support in agriculture, construction and forestry.
“Tata International is a true partner and is also invested and dedicated to this strategy,” Beyers said. “Tata supports our customers in delivering sustainable food production and creating infrastructure in Africa.”
Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa, said that Tata International Africa’s solid reputation for supporting John Deere products in several countries in Africa has enabled the company to make this commitment in Tanzania and Malawi.
“We are extremely proud to have been given this opportunity to represent the brand in more countries on the continent,” the statement quoted Brand as saying.
UAE’s Masdar to work on solar and wind power projects in Tanzania
The Emirati renewable energy firm Masdar has signed an agreement with the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) to develop renewable energy projects in Tanzania.
The deal will work on two energy projects that will ultimately produce 2,000 megawatts of solar and onshore wind power, Masdar said in a press release.
The United Arab Emirates is investing in a variety of renewable energy and green technology projects as it seeks to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil, UAE’s Al-Monitor newspaper reported.
Abu Dhabi-based Masdar, which is owned by the Emirati sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, plays a large role in this transition.
In June, Masdar agreed with Azerbaijan to develop wind and solar power projects in the Eurasian country. In May, Masdar unveiled a plant in the Emirati city of Sharjah that will convert the garbage into energy.
Other Emirati companies are also pursuing renewable energy projects in Africa. In April, Dubai’s AMEA Power agreed to build two solar power facilities in Morocco.
The agreement with Tanzania represents the UAE’s continued interest in improving its economic ties to countries on the African continent, the newspaper reported.
TRA officials tour Nigeria to learn taxation issues
A delegation from the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) on Saturday finalised its tour in Nigeria went it had gone to learn about issues of taxation from its counterpart the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
TRA’s delegation took the research tour aimed at “improving [Tanzania’s] country’s tax administration system. FIRS expresses readiness to collaborate with Tanzania on Taxation,” Nigerian media reported.
It was also reported that Tanzania draws lessons from Nigeria’s tax system, including taxation of the internet economy, technological advances in the digital economy, a VAT regime for non-residents, tax policy and advising, and vat and tax ProMax activities of the service.
The Tanzanian delegation was quoted by the Nigerian media as saying that the study tour was highly impactful and looks forwards to getting more support from FIRS in areas of tax administration in line with demands of the African Continental free-trade area agreement.
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