TANZANIA: Government planning to boost sugar industry
Published: 07/18/2012, 10:54:08 AM
The Tanzanian government has acknowledged that the sugar sector does not meet the needs of the country, Industry and Trade minister Dr Abdullah Kigoda made the remark in response to a basic question posed by Said Mussa Zubeir (Fuoni, CUF), according to Tanzania's The Guardian newspaper.
Zubeir wanted to know if the government had plans to establish small scale outlets for sugar and sugar products in an effort to increase job opportunities and to reduce the on going sugar shortages causing the unstable prices.
Government, through the sugar board, is implementing a strategic five year plan, fiscal year 2011/12-2015/16 to improve the sugar sector. According to him, the government has already prepared more areas for the establishment of sugar plantations and small scale sugar plants to semi-processing the sugarcane.
Areas proposed for the planned plants ranged from Kilosa and Mwaya (Morogoro) to Kiru (Manyara) and Lumuma Dodoma. The minister also named Peramiho Songea and Luili in Mbinga, Amani in Tanga and Kintiku in Singida.
He said the National Sugar Institute (NSI) in Morogoro has distributed small processing machines to various areas including Peramiho, Lumuma Mpwapwa, Same, Pemba and Bumbuli and that a group made up of widows, the ‘Mshikamano Group' is utilising the machines to process sugar.
The minister assured the House that the government is conducting an extensive research across the country to identify areas suitable for investment of both small scale sugar factories.
He called upon the MP's to assist the ministry to encourage citizens to invest in the sugar factories which will provide job opportunities as well as provide investment options.
In 1974, Government established the Sugar Development Corporation (SUDECO) but the enactment of the Sugar Industry Act of 2001 caused transformation of SUDECO into the now Sugar Board of Tanzania (SBT) charged with improvement, development and regulation of the Sugar Industry and matters related there to, explains the company history as posted on their website.