Forbes names Samia among 100 most powerful women
What you need to know:
- The magazine’s peer contributors said last year that the Samia showed strong leadership in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic since she came into office in March 2021.
Dar es Salaam. For the second year in a row, Forbes has named President Samia Suluhu Hassan among the world's most influential and powerful women in its 2022 ranking.
The list includes the world's top leaders operating in different sectors, ranging from politics, economics, technology, philanthropy, and health.
Coming in at 95, Samia has dropped by one slot from last year's ranking, where she placed 94th.
The Tanzanian Head of State is praised for how she handled Covid-19, her role in promoting gender equality, education, and health, as well as a peaceful democratic process and good governance.
Top of the Forbes most powerful women list is President of the European Union Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; Christine Largarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB); Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States.
The magazine’s peer contributors said last year that the Samia showed strong leadership in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic since she came into office in March 2021.
Those who have worked closely with the head of state say - and which not many outsiders are aware of - her great leadership ability, they affirmed.
The World Bank has similarly praised the sixth phase government under President Samia for what it described as an economic miracle, in the government’s ability to control inflation, while many countries around the world face severe economic pressures due to the war in Ukraine.
President Samia is being cited by worldwide observers as one of the most talented leaders not only in Africa, but across the globe, in her ability to mend ties within the region and abroad, along with building bridges with various groups in the country, and within the ruling party.
Since coming to office, the president has maintained the legacy of her predecessor in pursuing investments in strategic infrastructure projects, while reinforcing the campaign to solve water, education and health access problems all over the country.
In education, when she came to office the government was providing free education up to secondary school, and the government has since then elevated this consideration to high school.
The president’s change of tack from forceful tax collection to amicable relations with large taxpayers, as well as amnesty for tax liabilities stretching up to five years, endeared her to business organisations and observers in the region and well beyond.
Efforts at elevating good governance have been less crowned with success and the dialogue with opposition parties and civic groups is yet to strike the common ground on a number of issues.
Intimations of checking oppressive criminal justice procedures led to a flare-up of juvenile criminality in large urban centres, and remain muted in their follow-up.
On the whole, the nearly two years of President Samia’s leadership have restored the confidence of foreign and domestic businessmen and investors, where the most important initiatives to date include restoring the Bagamoyo port project, restarting residential flats extensive building projects of the National Housing Corporation (NHC) in league with foreign investors, a series of consumption subsidies including fuel, dampening a worrying inflationary push, and pushing for completion of negotiations for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Lindi Region.
