Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, October 17, 2022.
Pando DAO, Silicon Zanzibar team up to turn Z’bar into ‘a hub for tech talent’
Pando DAO, a community of top tech founders in Africa, on Monday, launched a partnership with Silicon Zanzibar, the government initiative launched earlier this year with the goal of turning the island into a hub for tech talent and companies.
According to a report by Business Insider, Pando DAO will support the Zanzibari government in opening operations and creating a policy framework to support innovation and the digital economy in Zanzibar.
In doing so, Pando DAO will enable Silicon Zanzibar to serve as a model for other African governments.
Initial initiatives will include a hub open to Pando DAO members and a Pando CEO Summit, launching later this year.
Speaking during the launching ceremony on Monday, Mudrick Soraga, Zanzibar’s Minister of Investment & Economic Development said the government was “excited to officially partner with Pando to co-create the policies and initiatives that will transform Zanzibar’s economy.”
He added, “Working with Pando DAO presents us an opportunity to work side-by-side with the leading players in the African tech ecosystem.”
Yacob Berhane, CEO and co-founder at Pariti and a founding member of Pando DAO, said that the organisation was “thrilled” to be partnering with the government of Zanzibar on this initiative.
“We believe that through this partnership, we will be able to drive the tech ecosystem in Africa forward, with Zanzibar serving as a key part of that story by attracting tech companies and talent and also developing homegrown companies and talent as well,” Business Insider quoted Berhane as saying.
Iranian FM congratulates Tax’s appointment as Tanzanian FM
The Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has congratulated the appointment of Stergomena Lawrence Tax as Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, according to a statement released on Monday.
On October 3, 2022, President Samia Suluhu Hassan appointed Dr Tax as new the new head of the foreign affairs docket, replacing Ambassador Liberata Mulamula. Before the appointment, Dr Tax served as Minister for Defence and National Service.
Speaking during the 40th anniversary of the establishment of official relations between Tanzania and Iran, Mr Amirabdollahian said that he hopes that the relations between the two countries will improve manifold during Dr Tax’s tenure.
“I am sure that, during your tenure and with the cooperation of the foreign ministries of both countries, the friendly and long-standing relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Tanzania will be strengthened in the bilateral political, economic, scientific-cultural fields as well as international arenas,” a statement quoted Amirabdollahian as saying.
Govt to distribute 3 million coffee seedlings to boost production
Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) acting director-general Priscus Kimaryo said Sunday that the agency is planning to distribute over three million Robusta coffee seedlings to farmers free of charge in an attempt to boost production of the cash crop.
Mr Kimaryo was quoted as saying that all preparations for the distribution of the seedlings have been made, noting that the seedlings will be distributed to coffee growers in Kagera.
“The distribution of the Robusta coffee seedlings will be launched next week in Karenge village in Kyerwa district, the main reason behind the distribution of the seedlings free of charge is to boost the production of the cash crop,” Mr Kimaryo said.
Based on TCB statistics, coffee production in Tanzania in past years has averaged 50,000 tonnes annually, but government efforts have led to an increase in coffee production to 73,022 tonnes in the 2020/2021 coffee harvest season.
Kagera region leads in the production of Robusta coffee which accounts for a total of 30 per cent to 40 per cent of all the coffee produced countrywide while Ruvuma and Songwe regions lead with Arabica coffee production accounting for 44 per cent of all the coffee produced in the country.
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One Response
‘Iranian FM congratulates Tax’s appointment as Tanzanian FM’
Let the state media apparatus tell us this utterly uninteresting piece of news.
Chanzo is there to highlight IMPORTANT news, not self-serving stater trivia.
There are major things happening in Iran – this is not one of them.
Otherwise keep up the good work.
Brian Cooksey (PhD)