Guarded optimism on arrival of ATCL aircraft

WITH enthusiasm still high after the arrival of one of the two AirTanzania Company Limited (ATCL) planes in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, stakeholders say the national carrier needs competent management to run it profitably.

The stakeholders called on the government to make sure they appointed competent team to run the airline to avoid plunging it into losses as it was the case earlier.

The chairman of the parliamentary committee for infrastructure development Prof Adamson Sigalla commended government efforts to restore the glory of the ailing ATCL to be an active airline in the country and in the region.

“The public has been caught by excitement due to the fifth phase government achievements where in less than one year accomplished purchasing two planes that past regimes failed,” he said in an interview with the Daily News yesterday.

He however emphasized the need for hiring a competent management that would determine the bright future of the ATCL to contribute to the country’s economic growth.

He said by employing capable and knowledgeable management on the aviation industry ATCL would become a strong and profitable national airline carrier. “We need to avoid past mistakes of putting weak and unknowledgeable staff that would throw the institution into heavy losses,” he said.

He said also ATCL should be registered with the international travel agents to harness immense opportunities including more travellers from different parts of the world.

“This is a unique opportunity to boost local and foreign tourism,” he said adding that the government should improve small airports particularly in areas with tourism attractions to accommodate more tourists.

On his part, the Eagle Travel Distribution System, Chief Executive Officer, Mr Renatus Kyakalaba said public excitement is one thing but the government should address first management problems to run ATCL profitably.

“Even if we buy 100 planes, without competent management it will be useless,” he said adding that it is high time ATCL run commercially.

The other plane is expected at the end of the week. Last week President John Magufuli appointed Emmanuel Korosso and the new Chairman of ATCL Board of Directors and Ladislaus Ernest Matindi Director General of the airline. Prior to appointment, Mr Matindi was Director in EGNOS-Africa Joint Programme Office in Senegal

Tanzanian scoops top award in New York

EXECUTIVE Director of the Msichana Initiative in Tanzania, Rebeca Gyumi, has been honoured for her efforts to end child marriage in the country at the first annual Global Goals Awards in New York.

Speaking shortly after receiving the award, she said “I would like to dedicate this award to all Tanzanian girls and every girl around the world who escaped child marriage in search of freedom. You are my true motivation,” she said.

Ms Gyumi, along with the Msichana Initiative, won a landmark court case in July that ended legal provisions permitting child marriage in the country. “Changing the law is one step towards ending child marriage.

But it is just the beginning of a wider campaign to change these inhuman acts,” said Gyumi, adding that for child marriage to end, people need to work together.

Ms Gyumi was honoured during a ceremony in New York along with a Syrian teen and Olympic swimmer who saved fellow refugees from drowning, and an organization that brings health care to vulnerable girls and women in Pakistan.

The three honorees were recognised for their significant contributions to advancing the rights of girls and women. Leaders from business, government, and entertainment attended the ceremony.

Also present were Chief International Correspondent for CNN, Christiane Amanpour, entrepreneur Chris Anderson and Grammy Award winner and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo.

The Global Goal Awards are part of ongoing efforts to rally support for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of goals unanimously adopted by every country in the world to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.

The awards were curated by UNICEF with the 17 SDG Advocates forming the official judging panel.

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Last Edited on 2016-08-31

Dar enters UN good books in education for all achievement

UNITED Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has said Tanzania was an exemplary nation in making education available to all.

The UN chief made the remarks on Sunday when launching the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity report, titled ‘The Learning Generation: Investing in Education for a Changing World.’

The launching ceremony was held at the UN headquarters in New York and was attended by the commissioners of the Education Commission, including former President Jakaya Kikwete.

Present during the launch include the commission’s Coconvenors: Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway, President Arthur Peter Mutharika of Malawi and the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Irina Bokova.

Others were the UN Special Envoy for Education, Mr Gordon Brown, who is also the commission’s Chairperson, large investors, including CEO of the Dangote Groupe, Mr Aliko Dangote, research institutes, financial institutions, civic organisations and students.

“Experience from countries such as Tanzania, Vietnam and my own country, South Korea, shows that where there is political will, plus opportunities and financial resources something positive can be done in education,” the UN chief said.

He said the international community must provide assistance to such countries and others that have decided to bring reforms in their education systems to get desired results.

The report points out that with more than 250 million children out of school and another 330 million children failing to achieve the most basic learning outcomes, the world cannot hope to achieve the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The report sets out the commission’s four-stage plan that will, among others, aim to generate the reforms and investment that will get every child on track to enter school by 2030; increase the number of qualified high school graduates in low and middle-income countries from 400 million to 850 million by 2030 and raise the numbers even further to 1.2 billion during the next decade.

The stage includes having all countries adopting the reforms of the fastest improvers, which is 25 per cent of education performers around the world. Instead of only one in 10 schools being online, all schools would go digital.

Plan Two is for every country to see education as an investment in the future and elevate spending in low-income countries -- from three per cent of national income today to five per cent of national income; The third stage of the plan is to mobilise the combined resources of the international institutions.

No country committed to reforming and investing should be denied the chance to deliver universal education for lack of funds; and Stage Four calls for a ‘Financing Compact’ between developing countries, donors and multilateral institutions under which overall aid will rise to US35 dollars a year per child by 2030, significantly less than US1 dollars a week, hardly a wasteful use of the world’s resources.

The secretary general said the report makes the case for investment in education as a prerequisite for economic growth, sustainable development and global stability.

He noted that while the crisis of education is eminently solvable, if current trends continue; “we will not achieve universal primary education until 2042, and upper secondary education until 2084. We will miss SDG 4 by half a century.”

Contributing to the launching of the report as one of the Commissioners, former President Kikwete said achievement in education means that every child, including those living in difficult conditions and marginalised, especially girls, have access to education.

He said one out of 20 girls living in poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa finish primary school education while 75 million children in school going age face various dangers. The figure includes one million Syrian refugee children who are not in schools.

“The report points out a vision of providing opportunities to future generation with a focus on children refugees, street children, girls, children in labour and other groups,” former president Kikwete stressed.

The report is a culmination of a one year analysis work that involved 30 research institutions and consultations that involved more than 300 contributors from 105 countries.

Standards on digital financial services underway as ITU register 62m accounts

THE International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is crafting international standards on digital financial inclusion as Tanzania financial service provider announced it had registered over 62 million accounts in the country.

The standards seeks to tighten security, improve network quality as well as userfriendly terms and condition on digital access to and use of formal financial services by excluded and underserved populations Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Governor Prof Benno Ndulu said at the Sixth Meeting of the ITU Focus Group on Digital Financial Inclusion held in Dar es Salaam the country had a booming number of active accounts standing at 21.9 million as of July this year.

Tanzania has already become first, globally, to achieve wallet to wallet interoperability in digital financial service -- allowing one user to send or receive money from another mobile operator.

“From our regulatory point of view, we are seeing increased number of transactions since then with reduced costs as a result of sharing infrastructure in the country,” Prof Ndulu told the conference yesterday.

According to the governor, the achievement were driven by adaptation and application of mobile money as a platform for delivery of financial services which account by more than half of increased usage of formal non-banking financial services.

The central bank and financial regulator inked a MoU with the Tanzania Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) to discharge its obligations the plan which had helped embrace digital financial services.

ITU Programme Coordinator, Mr Venkatesen Mauree, explained that the meeting which involved policy makers, ITU member states, regulators and payment option providers were working for a collective solution regarding digital financial inclusion challenges.

He said the aim is to develop an international standard that can help guide users and providers on security issues, quality and terms. “There are time a client fails to get service despite that has paid.

under technical issues or network failure the payment may arrive late or bounce all this are gaps that were working on,” He said noting there already specifications developed and according to him, the standards are expected to be ready by next year.

He lauded Tanzania for becoming a first country in the globe to have adopted interoperability. “Digital financial service has led to strong economic growth and we hope Tanzania can benefit from this transformation.”

But Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Senior Program Officer Mr Sacha Polverini who is responsible for financial services for the poor said relationship between regulators BoT and TCRA must be strengthened.

Aircrafts triple at newly renovated Dodoma airport

AIRCRAFTS landing daily at Dodoma Airport have tripled to nine from the normal three following completion of expansion works on the runway, Airport Manager Mr Julius Mlungwa has said.

He said the completion of the works early this month has allowed more flights to land at the semi-arid region and the country’s designated capital, lowering airfare to passengers. “The airport expansion works are complete by 100 percent.

We are now finalising putting mark-points,” he said. Mr Mlungwa said, for long, air travelers, including tour agents, businesspeople, government officers, leaders, international organisation representatives and ordinary people, had been complaining about escalating airfares to and from Dodoma.

“We had only two flights, Auric Air and Flight Link. They were both 13-seaters and fare stood at 495,000/- for single ticket from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.

It was not easy for an ordinary person to use air transport,” he said. Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA) Engineer Mbila Mdemu who was in charge of the expansion project said the last renovation works at Dodoma Airport was done in 1976.

He said there was a feasibility study conducted in 2005 to expand the runway but the expansion were not undertaken due to limited financial resources. “President John Magufuli ordered expansion of the runway with other related services before August.

We have managed to complete all the requirement,” he told reporters here yesterday. Dodoma Assistant Apron, Mr Emmanuel Kisumo admitted that despite additional numbers, now the airport is accommodating up to 90-seaters aircrafts.

The new expansion work involved 2.5 kilometre runway and a 500m lighting area for airplane safety during takeoff and landing.

KCB changes tune on M-Pesa loan account

The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) has made a hasty retreat on its hard-line stance on micro mobile loans, saying they will attract the 14.5 percent interest rate cap.

This comes after weeks of hesitation by the country’s largest bank by assets, which challenged that the loans did not fall under the new Banking Amendment Act.

In an apparent change in tact, KCB has written to its customers informing them that the bank had changed the pricing of all its loan products to include the mobile loans.

“We wish to inform our existing and potential customers that we have adjusted the pricing for all our local currency loan facilities. These changes include KCB M-Pesa, KCB Mobi loans & local currency deposits pursuant to the Banking (Amendment) Act,” KCB wrote on its official twitter page.

KCB has partnered with Safaricom to create the KCB- M-Pesa account, where customers can make deposits, withdrawals and even loan applications without having to go to a branch.

Safaricom has welcomed the move by KCB saying customers will benefit from cheap loans.

“We welcome today’s decision by our partner KCB Bank Kenya to lower interest rates for the KCB mobile money product in line with the recently adopted Banking (Amendment) Act 2016,” Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore said.

`The move comes just days after Equity Bank announced that its mobile base loan product, Eazzy loan, will be priced at 14.5 percent per annum on a reducing balance. This translates to about 0.7 percent per month.

Equity has the advantage of being able to process the mobile loans through its own virtual mobile network while the other banks have to go through a mobile operator.

“So even for collaborations the law applies.  That’s why we said whether its credit cards, mobile loans, microfinance, asset finance, consumer or even unsecured, interest rates have now been legislated and there is no window to manipulate the law,” Equity Bank chief executive officer James Mwangi said on Tuesday.

Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) which runs the M-Shwari account also with Safaricom is yet to align its interest rates with the new law. The bank has however written to its customers that deposits on the account will attract an interest rate of 7.35 percent.

“Loan facility fees remain unchanged at 7.5 percent per loan,” CBA said in a notice to customers.

The Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) on Thursday gave KCB and CBA a two day notice to price their micro mobile loans on the new law or have their stand challenged in court.

Banks buy time to re price existing loans

Borrowers will have to wait a little longer before having their existing loans recalculated in line with the new interest rate capping laws.

This comes as banks align their systems to capture data of their customers before giving an effective date for re pricing the loans.

Players in the banking sector say this is being done to weed out the teething problems that may occur by re pricing new loans en mass.

KCB Group Chief Executive Officer Joshua Oigara said the new law had already been applied to all loans but existing loans will be re calculated to 14.5 percent from September 29.

“For us we have engaged our customers to say we need to revise our letters of offer. But we have already applied the rate. Now it’s more about the process to be resolved,” Mr Oigara said on an interview on Citizen Business Centre.

Under the Bank Amendment Act all loans will attract an interest rate not more than four percent of the central bank rate (CBR).

All banks were expected to apply the new rates from September 14.

While the law covers those taking new loans, industry players agreed to extend the rate to existing loans, with most expected to be fully compliant by October.

NIC Bank has also given itself until October 1 to migrate existing loans to the new rate.

The new law also sets a cap on interest rates on deposits at 70 percent of the CBR.

Banks call for changes to credit information sharing system

The government’s move to cap interest rates has now shifted focus to how borrowers will engage banks in loan negotiation.

With the capping likely to make banks more risk averse, borrowers deemed too risky may have a hard time accessing credit.

However commercial banks are now calling for an overhaul of the credit information sharing mechanism to boost vibrancy in the country’s credit market.

According to NIC Group Managing Director John Gachora, while the law caps the maximum amount banks can charge on loans, there is still room for borrowers to push for lower rates depending on their credit scores.

“We need to be able to different people’s credit ratings. Therefore in my view, the credit reference bureau framework must continue to evolve because down the line I want my customers to be able to walk in and say 14.5 percent is too high for me, I want 10.5 percent,” Mr Gachora said on an interview on Citizen Business Centre.

The credit reference bureau system was introduced in 2010 with the expectations that borrowers could have an upper hand while negotiating with lenders for preferential interest rates.

However the system has been prone to abuse, with most borrowers concerned that banks have previously only shared negative information, lowering their credit scores.

This saw the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in August issue a notice to all commercial banks warning of stiff penalties for misusing the information sharing tool.

While banks conquer that the lending landscape had changed, borrowers are still central in the pricing framework.

KCB Group Chief Executive Officer Joshua Oigara however cautioned that borrowers also needed to ensure their credit scores are accurate to ensure the cost of credit can come down further.

“The banks now, we’ll need to see more innovation that if you get a score of 100 points or 900 points you can actually be able to push for a better kind of access of credit from your bank,” Mr Oigara said.

Simba lead, Yanga silence Mwadui

SIMBA SC opened a three points lead at the top of the Mainland Premier League, holders Young Africans moved second following their yesterday wins in Dar es Salam and Shinyanga respectively.

Simba beat Azam FC 1-0 at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam and they are now at the top of the league with 13 points, while Yanga beat Mwadui FC 2-0 at the Kambarage Stadium in Shinyanga to move second on the log with ten points.

At the Uhuru Stadium, Simba’s slippery left footer winger Shiza Kichuya was the hero of the day for his club after his stunner inflicted first defeat on Spaniard tactician Zeben Hernandez. It also gave Simba’s Cameroonian Coach, Joseph Omog bragging rights against his former employers.

Omog parted ways with ‘ice cream makers’ side in 2013. Prior to the game, Simba and Azam tied at the top of the league with ten points each, some goal difference, same number of goals scored and same number of goal conceded from four matches each and the game was meant to separate the two.

It was a slow start for both sides with the game mostly played in the midfield and the two goalkeepers had no much work to do in the first few opening minutes but as the game progressed, it turned up to be a seesaw affair, with the ball swinging from one end to the other.

Still, much of the ball was played in the midfield and the few attacks created for both side were either cleared by defenders or goalkeepers made the saves. Good chance for Simba came in the 16th minute, when Kichuya dribbled the ball in the left wing before releasing a nice cross into the box to Ibrahim Ajib and the skilful striker took a sharp turn inside the box but his shot was cuddled by impressive goalkeeper, Aishi Manula.

In the 21st minute, Ya Thomas Renardo well calculated cross met Khamis Mcha in the box but unluckily his shot hit the woodwork and denied Azam the lead.

It was a lucky escape for Azam yet again in the 23rd minute, when Ajib found himself face to face with Manula and the brave goalie cleared the danger. Simba were on the upper gear now and five minutes later, Jamal Mnyate forced his way into the box but his shot could not hit the target.

Azam also came into the picture after half an hour mark, when skipper John Bocco’s stinging shot was parried off by goalie Vincent Angban, only for Novatus Lufunga to rush in and clear the danger. Burundian striker, Laudit Mavugo almost put Simba ahead two minutes to the breather, when he rose above defenders but his header was timely saved by Manula as the game rolled to half time. Both sides started the second half cautiously with no meaningful attempt to score.

Concentration remained in the midfield, where both teams boast of gifted players. With time clocking down, Coach Omog called off Mnyate and introduced midfielder, Said Ndemla in the 64th minute.

Immediately after Ndemla’s introduction, Simba took control of the midfield no wonder they scored in the 67th minute, when Kichuya’s long range low shot which sailed direct into back of the net in the left corner, leaving Manula diving in vain.

Azam Spaniard coach made a double change by bringing in Fransesco Zekumbirwa and Mudathir Yahya for Mcha and Frank Domayo in an attempt to rescue a point but the change was fruitless. In Shinyanga at the Kambarage Stadium Alexander Sanga reports that the league defending champions Yanga emerged with a 2-0 victory against Mwadui FC with its goals coming in both halves of the game.

Amis Tambwe opened the score only five minute into the game, connecting home Juma Abdul’s set piece to give his side the lead.

Donald Ngoma doubled the lead in the 90th minute after nodding home a high ball in the box from Haruna Niyonzima. Yanga dominated the match which they ought to win by a bigger margin but wasted several scoring chances in both halves. With the result Yanga are now on 10 points with a game in hand and have leapfrogged Azam into the second position. Azam drop to third place.

In other league matches held at the Sokoine Memorial Stadium in Mbeya, Tanzania Prisons and Mbeya City shared the spoils in the Mbeya derby after finishing their clash in a barren draw. Mtibwa Sugar defeated Kagera Sugar 2-0 at Manungu Stadium, Turiani in Morogoro, whereas Majimaji lost its fifth consecutive league game after going down 2-1 at the hands of Ndanda FC at the Majimaji Stadium in Songea.

Majimaji remain glued at the bottom of the league without a point after five games. The league continues today with only one game between Stand United and JKT Ruvu at the Kambarage Stadium in Shinyanga.

The match between African Lyon and Toto Africans which was scheduled to take place at the Uhuru Stadium has been push forward to Tuesday next week.

Dar launches new ‘bodaboda’ plan

DAR ES SALAAM Regional Commissioner (RC) Paul Makonda has launched a special programme aimed at improving motorcycle and tricycle taxis, also known as ‘bodaboda’ and ‘bajaji’, transportation in the city.

The special programme, titled “Bodaboda and Bajaji New Look in Dar es Salaam’’, includes registration by using special numbers that will also appear on the special uniforms that the riders will be required to put on. Speaking during the launch of the programme, Mr Makonda said the move will be helpful to passengers using the mode of transportation when faced with any situation that will require getting the identity of the rider.

Using a system similar to mobile money transactions, the passenger will be required to enter the number that appears on the riders’ uniform in the ‘bodaboda’ and ‘bajaji’ in Dar es Salaam segments, which will bring up the riders’ information.

The information that will come up on the mobile phone screen includes the riders’ parking area, the parking area leader and the mobile phone number of that person.

The ‘bodaboda’ and ‘bajaji’ riders would be issued with the uniforms free of charge complete with helmets for the riders, Mr Makonda said, stressing that he is focused on improving the now popular mode of transportation in the city.

“The objective of this programme is to address the challenges facing this mode of transportation and friction with the police force and ensure its improvement,” he explained, urging the riders to adhere to traffic laws.

Meanwhile, the RC officially launched the Regional Bodaboda and Bajaji Riders Association, calling for members to use it to improve their standards of living.

Earlier, Mr Daud Laurian, representing the ‘bodaboda’ and ‘bajaji’ riders, who is also the chairperson of the association’s preparatory committee, commended the regional commissioner for his creativity, noting that the move will restore public trust in the mode of transportation.

He said the special uniforms for the riders in each of the regions ‘ districts -- Temeke, Kinondoni, Ilala and Kigamboni -- will have their own unique colours and numbers.

He stressed that the new outlook will also increase business opportunities in that sector, including advertising opportunities from individual and business organisations.

“Most of all, this sector is also contributing to the national economy. In Dar es Salaam, the contribution is about 2bn/- per year,” he explained.

The launching of the programme was organised by the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner’s office, Surface and Marine Transportation (SUMATRA), Chotec Ltd, police force, Shell Advance, Clouds FM and Event Master.

Uganda oil pipeline opportunities to be unveiled

THE Uganda-Tanzania crude oil pipeline business opportunities are going to be unveiled to private sector in special workshop next Tuesday.

The workshop, organised by Tanzania Private Sector Foundation and Petro Fiorentini, expects to unveil opportunities available before, during and after pipeline construction. The organisers also expect to express the role of value chain and local content to the country’s business community.

TPSF Executive Director, Godfrey Simbeye, who was represented by his Lois Accaro, said the project would create enormous number business opportunities plus jobs.

“The main focus of this workshop is to brief open eyes in value chains and also to give suppliers the channels, tools and means to harness and cater for this project,” Mr Simbeye told reporters over the weekend.

Top on the list of priorities for the workshop will be to hear plans on how to prepare local workforce and engagement of local enterprises to maximise the national economic benefit from this project.

The one-day workshop will address skills shortages in the country, both in technical and professional areas and significant investment required to provide relevant skills to local staff. Others are to build the capacity of the local supply chain to international standards and project timelines.

The envisaged 24-inch pipeline to cover 1,403 kilometres is expected to convey 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day for exports. The project is expected to create 15,000 jobs during its execution after which upon completion, in 2020, it will employ about between 1,000 and 2,000 people.

In Tanzania the pipe will pass through Kagera, Geita, Shinyanga, Tabora and Singida to Tanga where 200 kilometres of new roads and 150 km existing ones will be upgraded by TANROADS.

The envisaged pipeline through the country will be of benefit not only to Uganda and Tanzania but other countries in the region such as Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

During the workshop, TOTAL will make a detailed presentation on how local force will be engaged on entire value chain. The companies in the 4.0 billion dollars (about 8.7 trillion/-)project include Total E&P of France, Tullow Oil of United Kingdom as well as China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

Serengeti Boys out to clear Congo hurdle

THE national U-17 football team, Serengeti Boys yesterday got a massive boost ahead of today’s match against Congo- Brazzaville in their campaign to seek a ticket for the 2017 African Youth Championship (AYC) finals to be staged in Madagascar.

Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Nape Nnauye announced yesterday a 200,000/- reward to each Serengeti Boy player, as part of the ministry’s efforts to boost the team morale ahead of the third round of the AYC qualifier, first leg clash at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Apart from the 200,000/- motivation, Minister Nnauye also promised to award 500,000/- for each goal Serengeti Boys will score against the Congolese in today’s game.

He also called on other sports stakeholders to support the team by all means, to ensure it attain positive results in the two legged match. “If they scored five goals tomorrow (today), it means they will get 2,500,000/- for the good job and this is because we want them to do their best to ensure they emerge with victory in this crucial match. Tanzanians are praying and backing them,” he said.

Also as part of motivation factor, minister Nnauye will have breakfast with the team this morning at the Urban Rose Hotel in the city centre, where he will take the opportunity to talk with the players and the technical bench to assure them the government’s support.

The minister has also called upon the country football supporters to flock the venue as many as possible today, to ensure they play their part as 12th player and this he said, will contribute positively to the team’s victory.

“Our support is vital in helping our boys to get positive results both at home and in the return leg match which will be played in Congo- Brazzaville on October 2. We need to pray for the team and encourage them to perform,” he pleaded.

The boost comes a day after the Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, commended the success by Serengeti Boys in the ongoing AYC qualifiers. Premier Majaliwa drum up for much needed support to the team to ensure it qualify for next year’s finals.

To make it difficult for Congo- Brazzaville, the government announced that no entrance fee will be charged in the match, the objective being to attract as many fans as possible.

To set a date with Congo- Brazzaville, Serengeti Boys eliminated Seychelles by 9-0 goals on aggregate, before seeing off South Africa’s Amajimbos by 3-1 goal on aggregate.

After a 1-1 draw in South Africa, Serengeti Boys won 2-0 in the return leg held in Chamazi Complex in Dar es Salaam.

Congo-Brazzaville saw off Namibia on a 5-1 goal aggregate. Serengeti Boys is the only team from the East African Community (EAC) remaining in contention for a place in next year’s AYC finals set for Antananarivo

VP to grace women entrepreneurs fair

VICE-PRESIDENT, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, is expected to grace women entrepreneurs’ exhibition in Dar es Salaam at the end of October.

The event, among others, will be a platform for encouraging women entrepreneurs to use Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs), thus contributes to national income.

The exhibition, under the programme dubbed ‘Month of Women Entrepreneurs’ (MOWE) Tanzania is scheduled to take place for six days and over 450 entrepreneurs expect to participate.

This would be 10th MOWE’s exhibition which is conducted annually in the country. National Coordinator for women entrepreneurship and economic empowerment programme of the ILO, Ms Noreen Toroka, said different from previous exhibitions, this year the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has been invited to create awareness among the entrepreneurs to use the EFDs.

"Though majority of these are still running their activities with low capital, they need to know how to use them as a way of making them be part in increasing the tax base for the country's development,” he said.

She noted that since its introduction ten years ago, the exhibition managed to enable the women grow up to the level of participating in big exhibitions. "Entrepreneurship is crucial area for creating new jobs and develop Tanzanian products,” she said.

Chairperson of the MOWE, Ms Elihaika Mrema, pointed out that major objective of the exhibition was to bring together the entrepreneurs and government's institutions dealing with providing services for developing businesses.

Apart from local participants, the event would also attract other attendants from neighbouring countries of Kenya, Uganda and Malawi. The MOWE programme is part of the Women Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality which is implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Improved coffee brings change in Tarime

THE introduction of improved coffee varieties and the technology of inter-cropping in Tarime District in Mara region has immensely contributed to increased farmers’ incomes.

The Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI) introduced improved coffee varieties and inter-cropping technology in the area to boost the income of smallholder farmers. “The new improved coffee varieties are helpful.

It has boosted our incomes. We now can educate our children and meet other basic needs,” 84-year-old Marwa Roswe, a coffee grower at Nyamwaga village said. “We have no problems of markets for selling our coffee and bananas.

The market is here and buyers are coming to the farm themselves,” he explained.

Another farmer, Elias Juma,(72), of Nyansincha village said “we have improved our houses through coffee and banana farming.” “Apart from building a modern house, I have bought a television set to what is happening in the world around us.”

Fourty-two-year-old Bhoke Sagamo of Gwitryo village said TaCRI had turned coffee to be another gold in the district. “The education provided by TaCRI through groups had reached many people after realising that coffee is profitable. For example, I was living in a grass-thatched house.

Now I am living in a modern house,” he said. This year, TaCRI marks 15 years in its campaign to revive coffee in Tarime. TaCRI’s Manager in Mara Zone, Sheila Mdemu, said she was happy of the achievements in the revival of the coffee industry.

Since 2007 TaCRI has been working with groups of farmers to increase production through seed propagation. The aim has been to rejuvenate the coffee industry by producing improved coffee varieties to replace old coffee plants.

Around 2,775 farmers, 84 farmers promoters and 76 extension officers had been trained under the initiative being supported by the European Union and the government. According to Mdemu, farmers had multiplied over 300,000 seedlings in the area.

“We had also distributed more than 7,252 extension materials conveying different messages, and over 50 demonstration plots had also been established,” she said. Improved coffee varieties are resistant to diseases such as Coffee Berry Diseases (CBD). Tarime is the leading producer of Arabica coffee in Mara region.

Meanwhile the Tarime District Council has generated more than 100m/- from coffee buyers last season, according to the District Coffee Inspector Stanley Rubalila.