SONGWE: REGIONS have been urged to turn their economic potential into productive activities that create jobs, attract investment, expand trade and raise incomes as Tanzania works towards the goals of its Development Vision 2050.
Minister of State in the President’s Office, Planning and Investment, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, said the success of Vision 2050 will depend on each region identifying its competitive strengths and translating them into tangible economic opportunities for its people.
“We want to transform our regions into economic hubs. Every region has unique opportunities in agriculture, mining, tourism, industry and energy, and we must identify and unlock this economic potential,” Prof Mkumbo said.
He made the remarks yesterday when he launched the Vision 2050 regional forums in Songwe Region, bringing together government leaders, private sector representatives and other stakeholders to discuss implementation of the long-term development blueprint.
Prof Mkumbo said Vision 2050 could not be implemented in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma alone, stressing that its success would depend on what is done in every region, district and council across the country.
He said the shift should also be reflected in how regions measure and report their development, with reports going beyond social services and administrative activities to show investment levels, business activity, production, employment and income generated in each area.
“Every region has unique economic opportunities in agriculture, mining, tourism, energy and geographical advantages, but this is not enough unless converted into production, investment, exports, jobs and income,” he said.
He said the ambition to build a one-trillion-US-dollar economy by 2050 required every region to make a meaningful contribution to national economic growth.
The Minister also stressed the importance of developing value chains, saying the country needed to move away from exporting raw agricultural produce and minerals and instead process them locally to increase their value before reaching domestic and international markets.
He urged the private sector to take a bigger role in investing in productive economic activities, saying the government should concentrate on its core responsibilities, including security, social services, policy, legislation and infrastructure.
Prof Mkumbo also called on local government authorities to change their approach to revenue collection, saying councils should not rely heavily on increasing levies and charges as a means of raising revenue.
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Instead, he said councils should focus on stimulating new economic activities that would expand the local tax base while creating jobs and increasing incomes.
He said the success of Vision 2050 would ultimately be measured by results, including the number of new investments attracted, businesses expanded, jobs created, increased exports and, most importantly, growth in citizens’ incomes.
Prof Mkumbo said the regional Vision 2050 forums should therefore not end with discussions, but produce concrete economic agreements outlining regional priorities, responsibilities of the government and private sector, and clear mechanisms for measuring progress.
On his part, Songwe Regional Commissioner Jabir Makame said regional authorities had a major responsibility to translate Vision 2050 into tangible results, given that implementation would take place from the regional level down to districts, councils, wards, villages and households.
“Songwe had deliberately brought together government institutions, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, religious leaders and private sector players to build a common understanding of the Vision and their responsibilities in its implementation,” he said.
The RC called for continued support from the Ministry in building the capacity of local leaders and officials, including through programmes that would reach councils, village leaders and other stakeholders unable to attend the regional forum.
He said Songwe was ready to support implementation of Vision 2050 and urged stakeholders to translate the discussions into practical actions that would strengthen investment, production, employment and incomes across the region.
