Dr Tulia Ackson says majority women left out of Presidential Trust Fund

Dar es Salaam. Many women do not benefit from the Presidential Trust Fund due to the lack of awareness or negative mindset, Deputy Speaker Tulia Ackson says.

She was speaking during the launch of the Network of African Business Women Tanzania.

The network has been developed from Graca Machel Trust’s Women Creating Wealth.

She said the fund was aimed at empowering women and youth, but due to negative mindset they were not benefiting from it.

"Unless women take opportunities to develop themselves, no one will develop them," she said.

Further she said markets were there so long as the goods were of good quality.

She urged Tanzanians to buy locally made goods.

She said the network was aimed at encouraging women to invest as the country was moving towards industrialization.

Presidential Trust Fund executive director, Haigath Kitala said the fund accepted sound proposals from groups of businesswomen.

She said they issue loans, equipment as well as tenders to women groups of at least five members.

"We issue loans of between Sh5 million and Sh20 million to individuals who have started own businesses after leaving groups," she said.