Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
Over 44 million Tanzanians have subscribed to mobile money services
There are currently 44.35 million mobile money customers in Tanzania, indicating the expansion of financial inclusion in the East African nation of 61.7 people.
This is according to a first-quarter report by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority released yesterday.
The regulator notes that there were more subscribers during the three quarters of the 2022–2023 fiscal year, from July 2022 to March 2023 than overall in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
In 2020, there were 32.26 million members, according to the latest figures. In 2021, there were a record 35.28 million subscribers; in 2022, there were 40.95 million customers.
The regulator said the number of subscriptions has been increasing at an average rate of 13 per cent per year.
With 36 per cent of the market’s mobile money accounts, Vodacom Tanzania has the greatest market share.
Tigo is second with 31 per cent, Airtel is third with 21 per cent, Halotel is fourth with nine per cent, and TTCL is fifth with three per cent.
According to the statistics, there were 3.4 billion transactions in 2020 and 4.2 billion in 2022, an increase in transactions over the previous three years.
TCRA’s report also shows that mobile internet subscribers stood at 33.09 million by the end of March 2023. This is a 6.1 per cent increase from 31.1 million subscriptions recorded by December 2022.
The service that used more bandwidth (in GBs) was Facebook, with a total of 48.99 Million GBs, followed by YouTube (35.96 Million GBs), WhatsApp (32.2 Million GBs), Tik Tok (25.9 Million GBs), and Instagram (12.5 Million GBs).
Rwanda’s Kagame in Tanzania for state visit
President Samia Suluhu Hassan will host her Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, who is expected in Tanzania for a two-day state visit.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation said yesterday that Kagame and his delegation would be welcomed by the Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Stergomena Tax, at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam.
While in the country, President Kagame will meet and converse with his host, President Samia, at the State House in Dar es Salaam.
“The two leaders will then brief journalists on what will be agreed at the meeting,” it said.
Tanzania and Rwanda have always enjoyed a close bilateral relationship, leading the two countries to partner in various strategic sectors, including business and investments, energy, transport, education and culture.
“This visit is a good sign towards strengthening the brotherly relations among the two countries for the betterment of both sides,” the statement said.
On August 2, 2021, hardly five months since she came to power, President Samia visited Rwanda, witnessing the signing of four bilateral agreements on cooperation in information and communication technology, immigration matters, education matters, and regulation of medical products.
Ties between Tanzania and Rwanda are strongest in trade and investment, with Rwanda exporting to Tanzania goods valued at close to $300 million annually as of 2021. On its part, Tanzania sends goods worth over $500m to Rwanda annually.
Australian mineral explorer receives licence for Ngualla rare earth project
Australian mineral explorer Peak Rare Earths revealed on Thursday that it has received a special mining licence (SML) for its Ngualla rare earth project in Tanzania.
In a statement, the company said the licence was awarded to Mamba Minerals Corporation Limited (MML), where Peak owns an 84 per cent interest, with the remaining stake owned by the government of Tanzania.
It has a 30-year term and initially includes 18.14km², comprising the Ngualla Project deposit. There is also scope for expansion of the SML area to add later an existing prospecting licence and a recently expired prospecting licence.
The licence’s initial term can also be amended to the shorter of 33 years and the life of the mine and extended on the application as per the rule. The Ngualla Project is situated around 147km from Mbeya in southern Tanzania.
It is said to be among the largest, highest grade and lowest cost neodymium and praseodymium rare earth projects globally.
“It further elevates Ngualla’s position as the world’s premier undeveloped rare earth project with high-grade ore reserves, low levels of radionuclides, a fully piloted flowsheet, and a completed updated bankable feasibility study,” Peak CEO Bardin Davis said after signing the framework agreement.
“We are now well positioned to progress completion of early works, offtake and financing workstreams ahead of the targeted commencement of construction in October 2023,” he added.
The project is expected to create almost 600 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs in the construction phase and nearly 220 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs after it becomes operational.
It is expected to make Tanzania one of the key rare earth producers outside of China while facilitating the flow of more than $320m in direct foreign investment into the African country.
Last week, the firm reached a binding framework agreement with the government on the project.
The framework agreement formed the basis of the government’s agreement for the licencing, development, and economic benefit sharing regarding the project’s development and operation.
It also offered the basis for establishing the firm’s joint venture with the government.
India-based Total Movements exports transformers to Tanzania
India-headquartered Total Movements, a global freight forwarding company, moved eight transformers and their accessories and oil drums from a factory on India’s west coast to Tanzania.
The company, a member of the Worldwide Project Consortium (WWPC) representing India, said Wednesday that it deployed various vehicles at the supplier’s facilities to lift and move the consignment and arranged a suitable heavy lift vessel capable of handling the entire lot.
“Our scope of activity included the entirety from picking up the consignment at the supplier’s works in India through unloading it at the Tanzanian discharge port,” a statement quoted the company’s spokesperson as saying.
It also said it managed customs and port operations in India during the festival holidays and prepared documents in close coordination with the customer to fulfil Indian and Tanzanian Customs rules.
It was also tasked with berthing the vessel and coordinating discharging activities at what was described as a “congested Tanzanian port.”
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