Chinese firm to employ 300 Tanzanians

Dar es Salaam. A Chinese company has invested Sh56 billion in setting up a distribution centre for its building materials in Tanzania.

China National Building Material (CNBM) will employ a total of 300 Tanzanians at its newly launched Dar es Salaam distribution centre.

“Our aim is to serve Tanzania’s growing construction centre with innovative designs,” the CNBM Deputy General Manager, Ms Sun Lishi said at the weekend.

Depending on demand, the company will expand further, she said.

The chairman for Chinese Business Chamber of Tanzania, Mr Huang Zaisheng, said members of the business community from his country will work hard to support President John Magufuli’s industrialisation drive.

He said they will help promote development of Tanzania’s infrastructure, construction and manufacturing industries.

China was undertaking a special programme that is known as ‘Group Six Talent Programme for Tanzania Industrialisation’ that is geared towards boosting Tanzania’s industrialization ambition.

According to Mr Huang Zaisheng, earlier this month, a team of 15 Tanzanians trainees returned from a one-month training in China under the programme.

“The 15 were attached to a training programme in management of private companies at Chongqing Engineering Vocational Institute in China….This is a practice that we take as response to the government’s call,” he said.

China remains Tanzania’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to $1.52 billion in 2016.

China also remains Tanzania’s second-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with about 700 Chinese companies registered with the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC).