Diplomatist Special Report - Tanzania Tanzania 2018 | Page 28

Social sectors are not Magufuli’s only legacy in his two years in power; three major fl agship projects are the hallmark of his reform-minded administration. First, using own resource, the President has just launched the construction of a modern Standard Gauge Railway from Dar es Salaam to the western part of the country. Second is the already launched construction of a standard guage railway; and third, the purchase of new passenger plans. As the standard railway is on the roll, the government has already announced a tender for purchase of more than 1,500 different wagons and about 25 electricity and diesel locomotives ready to service passenger and cargo transportation along the new standard gauge railway. I said industrialisation is one of his top agenda; in the two years, both small and large investor’s confi dence has been high. The government has recorded more than 3,000 new industrial projects since 2015, about 500 of them being large factories from ceramics, cement, beverages to drug processing. His administration is touting more investors to come to the peaceful land of Tanzania. Meeting investors and business people in Dar es Salaam in the mid of March 2018, the President assured them of his support and declared: “I want to run the most effi cient government. Come to open your businesses in Tanzania, comply with all requirements, 28 •TANZANIA then if there is anyone disturbing you let me know and I will take action. This is the time for investors to make money in Tanzania and my government extends our highest level of protection to all law-abiding investors.” It is no surprise that some of the world’s respected investors are already doing something in Tanzania; Africa’s richest son, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has already launched one of his largest cement factories in Southern Tanzania; Siemens Company is ready to invest in electricity production; Yapi Merkezi is on the ground rolling the standard gauge railway and Goodwill company is ready to deliver one of the largest ceramics production in Southern Africa. I can confi de that working with the fi fth phase government of Tanzania is one of the best experiences one can ever enjoy in changing the lives of the people. Those of us who are young public servants are learning a master-class on what it means to transform lives through the actions of President Magufuli. I welcome the world to peaceful and beautiful Tanzania – the land of Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Mount Kilimanjaro. *The author is the Director of Tanzania Information Services Department and Chief Spokesperson of the Government of Tanzania. He may be reached at [email protected]