Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
All set for Kamala Harris’ visit to Tanzania
Tanzanians are waiting with anticipation the visit by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to arrive in the country today for her three-day maiden visit to the East African nation from Mach 29 to March 31, 2023.
VP Harris is visiting Tanzania after stopping in Ghana, where, among other other things, she met with the West African nation’s leader President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The two leaders discussed insecurity in the neighbouring Sahel, including the threat extremist groups, pose to Coastal West Africa.
Vice President Harris announced that the United States would provide more than $100 million to support stabilisation in Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Togo, including at least $86 million over the next three years in support of the 10-year plan for implementing the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, which President Biden released on March 24.
While in Tanzania, VP Harris, who Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will accompany, will meet and hold talks with President Samia Suluhu Hassan to discuss regional and global priorities, including our shared commitment to democracy, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, food security, and the effects of Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, among other issues.
“The Vice President will strengthen people-to-people ties and engage with civil society, including young leaders, business representatives, entrepreneurs, and members of the African Diaspora,” the White House announced.
VP Harris’ Africa tour comes a few months after the conclusion of the recent U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit that US President Joe Biden hosted in Washington in December 2022.
The trip is expected to strengthen the US’ partnerships throughout Africa and advance our shared security and economic prosperity efforts.
In a statement, the White House said that throughout the trip, in partnership with African governments and the private sector, VP Harris will advance efforts to expand access to the digital economy, support climate adaptation and resilience, and strengthen business ties and investment, including through innovation, entrepreneurship, and the economic empowerment of women.
On Tuesday, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) said in a statement that it welcomes VP Harris’ visit to Tanzania, urging her to address critical issues related to food security and climate adaptation, economic empowerment of women, and inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
During Harris’ visit, Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, will be in Tanzania to attend the country’s 60th-anniversary event of CRS.
“We see the impact of climate change in so many countries around the world, including Tanzania,” Callahan said in a statement. “It has led to unprecedented food insecurity and threatens farmers’ livelihoods in many countries where CRS works. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the U.S. government in addressing these challenges.”
After Tanzania, VP Harris will travel to Zambia to meet and talk with the country’s president Hakainde Hichilema.
For the analysis of what Harris’ visit means to Tanzania, read our analysis VP Harris Visit and What It Means to Tanzania here.
Tanzania-India trading in own currencies is a right move
On March 16, 2023, the High Commission of India released a statement that Tanzania-India can now trade on their currencies.
In the statement, the Indian High Commission said that “banks and businesses have the opportunity to make full use of the new framework to enable seamless payment in domestic currencies.”
This is a good move between Tanzania and India to take on trade, and this can reduce their dependence on the US dollar.
Tanzania-India ties have evolved into a modern and pragmatic relationship with sound political understanding, diversified economic engagement, people-to-people contacts in education and healthcare, and capacity-building development partnerships.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, India’s exports to Tanzania stood at $2.3 billion (about Sh5.3 trillion) and imports from the East African nation were quoted at $2.2 billion (about Sh5.1 trillion), according to the report by the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade.
Full analysis here.
Tanzania’s coal export jumps by 972pc
Tanzania exported coal worth US$141.6 million in the year ending November 2022, according to an analysis by Tanzaniainvest.com.
It was a 972 per cent jump from the $13.2 million exported in the corresponding period in 2021, the website reported.
“[The jump i] largely explained by the rising demand for alternative energy sources following the short supply of crude oil and natural gas amid the war in Ukraine,” it reported.
“Most of the coal was destined to neighbour countries including Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda; and other countries including Poland, Hong Kong, India, and Senegal,” the website added.
Yara Tanzania partners with Jubilee Insurance to offer ‘Crop Insurance Cover’ to farmers
Yara Tanzania, a subsidiary of Yara International ASA, announced on Tuesday that it will partner with Jubilee Insurance to offer ‘Crop Insurance Cover’ to farmers in Tanzania via its digital signature platform Africaconnect.
Launched in 2022, AfricaConnect has so far enrolled 83,000 farmers who are enjoying access to funding, high-quality and dependable fertiliser, extension services, and a ready market for their produce.
Winstone Odhiambo, Yara Tanzania’s managing director, said in a statement that offering crop insurance to farmers across the country is a huge milestone for us at Yara as we seek to empower hard-working farmers to secure livelihoods and food security.
Odhiambo said that joining Africaconnect, Jubilee Insurance adds to the impetus of making farming in Tanzania stable and profitable.
“We are happy to also announce today that other than rice growers, in 2023, Africaconnect will enlist Maize, Coffee, Potatoes and Sunflower growers,” he said. “We urge all targeted farmers to enrol and benefit from the wide variety of services offered.”
Other Africaconnect partners are Equity Bank, Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Seed Agency (ASA), and Murzah Wilmar Rice Millers Ltd. Jubilee Insurance is the latest partner to join the initiative that provides tailor-made solutions to raise farmers’ productivity.
Farmers wishing to join the platform can use Yara Fertilizer agents near them or any Equity Bank branches.
Dipankar Acharya, Chief Executive Officer and Director at Jubilee Allianz General Insurance Company said they are excited to be joining Africaconnect partnership to shield farmers from losses occasioned by natural calamities by offering them crop insurance coverage and better management of the risk exposures they face.
“We anticipate that farmers will now farm with greater confidence as a result of this,” he said.
This is it for today, and we hope you enjoyed our briefing. Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (see below) or following us on Twitter (here), or joining us on Telegram (here). And in case you have any questions or comments, please consider dropping a word to our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
One Response
Will VP Harris understand if we tell her that we are non aligned as far as our foreign policy is concerned?
That we do not allow our friends to choose our friends?
I hope she doesn’t say you are either with us or against us as they always say
We better tell her the world is no longer uni polar as they wish