Tanzania now designs special system to identify the diaspora

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is designing a special system to identify Tanzanians in diaspora, Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation minister, Dr Stergomena Tax has said.

The plan seeks to boost the involvement of the diaspora in the country’s economic undertakings ahead of their being recognized under a ‘special status’.

Unlike its regional peers Kenya and Uganda, Tanzania does not recognize dual citizenship but the government has maintained that it was willing to offer a ‘special status’ to Tanzanians in diaspora.

As such, the actual number of Tanzanians in diaspora is not known.

Gracing the launch of the Diaspora Digital Hub (DDH) in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Dr Tax said the government’s special announcement would be made soon.

DDH seeks to identify all Tanzanians living abroad as well as the jobs they do and the types of skills they have.

DDH members of the diaspora would also be able to benefit from various investment opportunities in Tanzania.

"On May 30, I will present my ministry’s budget [in the Parliament] so I will touch a little on these diaspora issues. Just stay tuned,” she said.

She said with instructions from President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the ministry was quite aware of what to do with Tanzanians in diaspora.

"We have been given responsibilities to work on areas regarding the diaspora. Our president, Mama Samia, has clearly stated that a special status should be given and we are there to ensure that the order is implemented," she said.

With the DDH, she said, it will be easy for Tanzanians in diaspora to send money home, as well as participate in development issues in various sectors such as investment in housing.

She said all Tanzanians living abroad should register on the system so that their challenges, including those pertaining to visas and other permit can be dealt with timely.

Present at yesterday’s launch of the DDH were bankers and representatives from some social security organisations who said they already have products that cater for the needs of Tanzanians in diaspora.

NMB Bank’s chief of retail banking, Mr Filbert Mponzi, said his bank has provided Sh100 million to facilitate the operationalization of the DDH.

This, he said, was done in the bank’s belief that the system will be beneficial to Tanzania’s financial sector and the economy as a whole.

He said the bank has a special window to serve the diaspora and that through the DDH, it will help them increase the number of customers.

Similarly, NMB was offering mortgage loans for Tanzanians living in diaspora to get house loans of up to Sh1 billion.

According to the CRDB Bank Group managing director, Mr Abdulmajid Nsekela, his bank was also offering several products to Tanzanians in diaspora and that its banking cards, issued to that client category [dispora], was connected in such a way that the government was able to collect its various charges whenever transactions are made.

He said with recent improvements by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), it was no longer difficult for non-citizens to open bank accounts.

“This system will help Tanzanians to invest in various areas such as mining, tourism and housing and as a bank, we will improve our services in those areas,” he said.

NSSF director general, Mr Maisha Mshamba said the fund played a part in supporting the completion of the system which, he said, will give the diaspora an opportunity to invest in the fund.

"We call on the diaspora to register themselves in this official system so that they can benefit with various opportunities in the various sectors," he noted.

The Commissioner General of Immigration, Dr Anna Makakala, said the system will simplify the immigration’s dealings with the diaspora, especially on issues of travel permit, visas and passport.

"Therefore, we asking Tanzanians living abroad to register via the system so that their challenges relating to immigrant issues can be resolved quickly, we will allocate our resources to ensure the system is useful for the users," she said.

Last year, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ms Liberata Mulamula said Tanzania received $569.5 million in remittances from its diaspora in 2021, up from $400 million in 2020.