AAFP pledges 15 million jobs in bold Five-Year plan

Significantly, AAFP plans to establish a local contractor office under the Development Army in every district, ensuring that all young people who complete Form Four gain employment in district contractor offices.

This initiative targets youths unable to continue to Form Five and Six, technical colleges, or universities, providing them with practical knowledge and marketable skills.

The Development Army represents the second military formation proposed by AAFP, following its plan to split the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) into two: one for national defence and the other for development purposes.

AAFP’s manifesto states that in addressing unemployment and underemployment, its government will create 15 million new jobs through both formal and informal employment across multiple sectors, including agriculture.

To achieve this, the party pledges to provide favourable conditions for local and foreign investors, cooperate with the private sector, and ensure that all technical college and university graduates are absorbed into employment to drive wealth creation.

Education reform to prepare youth

The manifesto proposes legally restructuring all secondary schools, from Form One to technical colleges, into institutions specialising in technical education and wealth creation.

Universities will retain their academic structures but will also group students according to skills and aptitudes.

The aim is to equip learners with practical training and wealth-creation skills wherever possible.

Universities and technical colleges will be structured to produce experts who can train secondary school students and contribute to industrial, agricultural, and innovation sector growth across the country.

Agricultural production

AAFP plans to establish large-scale commercial farms for crops such as cotton, cashew, coffee, rice, maize, and sunflower in every district, recognising that agriculture employs nearly 80 percent of Tanzanians.

The party also intends to strengthen the fisheries sector by creating mechanisms in each fishing district to establish one or more small fish-processing factories.

AAFP also intends to revive livestock product industries, particularly leather, by establishing small-scale leather-processing factories in all livestock districts to boost youth employment, a long-standing challenge.

The manifesto proposes launching a programme to import small-scale processing machinery and legally establish special markets in every district, serving as development catalysts.

These markets will sell value-added products and be designated as district trade centres, expected to generate 5,000 new jobs nationwide.

Tax collection

On taxation, AAFP promises to “collect less, collect more” through a trader-friendly system at all levels.

It pledges favourable tax rates to encourage voluntary compliance, keeping levies affordable while raising government revenue.

“We will ensure rates are affordable, tax systems consider citizens’ ability to pay, and encourage voluntary compliance to support national development,” the manifesto states.

It also commits to fair revenue sharing between Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania: taxes paid in Zanzibar will not be duplicated on the mainland, and vice versa.

AAFP further pledges to strengthen Zanzibar economically by establishing a national commercial hub and a tourism centre on the East Coast.

Expert analysis

A senior lecturer at the College of Social Welfare in Dar es Salaam, Dr Riziki Nyello, said Tanzania could generate millions of jobs by adding value to its products, “Instead of exporting raw products, add value locally.”

Dr Nyello noted that expanding value chains also generates employment, citing that bee products, which can be processed into honey, glue, and organic candles, create jobs.

Technology similarly provides opportunities, hinting, for instance, that avocado growers in Njombe can sell directly online to buyers in Dar es Salaam, fostering a digital economy.

This system also creates intermediaries who do not own products but use smartphones to sell goods produced by others, a growing online trend.

Economist Emiliana Massawe warned that while political parties may promise ambitious job creation, no mechanism currently exists to verify whether 15 million jobs can be realised within five years.

“Making promises is one thing; implementing them is another. How do we measure employment effectiveness when street-level realities differ? Investing more in agriculture is where verifiable jobs exist,” she said.

She also questioned AAFP’s tax proposals, noting that while creating a friendly tax environment is positive, existing revenue sources often overburden citizens.

“How much revenue does Tanzania collect from seaweed farming?” she asked.

Teacher Evarist Mbogo highlighted that the greatest challenge in public schools is poor-quality education, which often focuses on preparing students to be employees rather than self-reliant entrepreneurs.

He explained that students can be taught entrepreneurship or agriculture, but the government must provide start-up capital to enable them to employ others, expanding the economic value chain.