Airtel Tanzania’s investment plan gets government’s nod
President Samia Suluhu Hassan (centre) listens to Airtel founder and chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal, (left) during his courtesy call at State House in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday. With them is Airtel Africa Group CEO Sunil Taldar (right), who accompanied Mittal on a two-day working visit to Tanzania. PHOTO | THE CITIZEN CORRESPONDENT
What you need to know:
- The government, through the Office of the Treasury Registrar, owns 49 percent of shares in Airtel Tanzania, a stake that allows it to participate directly in the company’s strategic decision-making processes.
Dar es Salaam. The government of Tanzania and the global leadership of telecommunications company Airtel have agreed to increase investment in Airtel Tanzania, with the aim of enhancing operational efficiency and improving service delivery to customers.
The government, through the Office of the Treasury Registrar, owns 49 percent of shares in Airtel Tanzania, a stake that allows it to participate directly in the company’s strategic decision-making processes.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday Treasury Registrar, Mr Nehemiah Mchechu, said that the parties have agreed to invest in the national fibre optic backbone and introduce new digital products.
“It is our commitment to ensure that alongside having a strong nationwide network, Airtel Tanzania also develops products that enable Tanzanians to increasingly adopt digital systems,” said Mr Mchechu.
He made the remarks shortly after a closed-door meeting with the Airtel leadership team, led by the company’s Founder and Global Chairman, Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal. For his part, Mr Mittal said Airtel’s global investment in digital infrastructure is aligned with supporting the Tanzanian government in implementing Vision 2050 (Dira 2050).
According to Dira 2050, the government aims to transition into an upper-middle-income economy by the year 2050, targeting a national GDP of $1 trillion and a per capita income of $7,000 annually.
“Tanzania is committed to achieving Vision 2050, and to succeed, digital transformation is essential. We are ready to support this journey,” Mr Mittal said.
