Private sector urged to invest in Dodoma

THE government has called on the private sector to take advantage of the renewed capital transfer programme to invest in Dodoma and boost the country’s economy.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament, Labour, Employment, Youth and Disabled), Ms Jenista Mhagama and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Director General, Mr Paskasi Muragili, said the government has laid down grounds for investments that must be taken up by the private sector.

They were speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday when they met leaders and members of the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) to outline key opportunities up for grabs as the government prepares to relocate from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.

In that meeting, the business persons were told that they would face no hurdles in the access to water and electricity as the water body in Dodoma was able to produce 65 million cubic metres on daily basis while only 40 million cubic metres were needed per day, meaning there was an excess of 20 million cubic metres.

On electricity, Mr Muragili said the Zuzu Station (near Dodoma) of the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) was producing 48 megawatts of electricity daily whereas only 25 megawatts were used - with an excess of another 23 megawatts.

“Therefore, you should turn up in bigger numbers to invest in the designated capital as we do not expect water or electricity woes,’’ he insisted. At the meeting, TPSF resolved to support the president’s decision to relocate the government business from Dar es Salaam and pledged to explore business opportunities found in the region.

TPSF members were, however, quick to remind the government to put measures in place that would attract the business community to invest in Dodoma.

Ms Mhagama said the government was at final touches in preparing a legislation to legalise Dodoma as the country’s new capital and have a specific law that will oversee all the state operations in the designated capital. She elaborated that the law would categorically state all the investment opportunities as well as explaining how the private sector would collaborate with the public sector to boost the economy in Dodoma.

“I urge you to reap the benefits from this ambitious decision in widening your business base. I am ready to accord you any necessary collaboration at any time. She urged Tanzanians to support the president, adding that various ministries were working round the clock to shift to Dodoma.

She asked the business community to start relocating so that they can put up proper infrastructure that will facilitate business. “I have directed CDA that any businessperson who would wish to put up a hotel in Dodoma should be given a plot within one week but those who will manage to acquire plots should develop them immediately instead of dumping them for 20 years unused,’’ the minister cautioned.

Earlier, Mr Muragili outlined various business opportunities up Bfor grabs in Dodoma, including construction of lodges and hotels, hinting that there would be an influx of people immediately after the government relocates from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.

According to him, Dodoma had only four three-star hotels, urging business people to put up five-star hotels as there was none. “The construction of buildings for office space to hire is also needed because there are currently few buildings in the Central Business District (CBD).

Therefore, as the private sector, you have a role to play,’’ Mr Muragili appealed. TPSF Chairman, Mr Reginald Mengi, welcomed the move to relocate the country’s capital, asking Tanzanians to support Dr Magufuli’s initiative, which came 40 years after the plan was initiated.

“He is the head of state who is living in what he believes in. He is walking his talk. It is not a simple task to make tough decisions like this, which failed to materialise for the past 40 years,’’ he added.

He urged Tanzanians to invest heavily in Dodoma – for the country’s development and for the sake of establishing new business opportunities.