ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY GOOD FOR BLUE ECONOMY GROWTH
On Wednesday this week, the President of Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, met with newly-appointed Tanzanian diplomatic envoys who went to bid him goodbye at State House in the Isles.
Dr Mwinyi, who is also the Chairman of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Council, took that golden opportunity to brief the envoys on some of our country’s issues on economic development, as well as solicit their collaborative efforts in promoting and otherwise bolstering all manner of relationships between Tanzania and the countries they are posted in.
In the event, the envoys solemnly pledged loyalty to their country Tanzania, and assured Dr Mwinyi that they would diligently and prudently work on his advice and instructions in executing their duties at all times.
The tasks which the envoys are mandated with include promoting the United Republic as being among the most preferred choice as the destination for foreign direct investments (FDIs) and tourists.
Tanzanians living in the Diaspora can also snugly fit in as prospective investors in the fast-emerging blue economy, as well as tourists to any of the bazillion tourism sites that are unique to Tanzania.
Then there are areas such as technology and skills transfers, as well as international trade, all of which can be promoted and otherwise bolstered by the country’s diplomatic (and other) representatives in foreign lands.
In the economic stakes, the name of the game today is ‘blue economy:’ meaning sustainable use of ocean resources for all-inclusive, sustainable socioeconomic development in the forms of improved livelihoods and jobs, while preserving the marine and coastal ecosystems.
The long and short of it is that prioritising and stressing economic diplomacy – as Dr Mwinyi has just done to our new diplomatic envoys – is in the best interests of the country and its people.
Hence our call for routinely doing this henceforth, ever and anon.
IT’S A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
It is encouraging to note that domestic use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has increased markedly in recent years, particularly in urban areas.
Reducing tax on gas cookers and LPG itself could go a long way in encouraging even more people to abandon charcoal and firewood, whose use has contributed to alarming levels of deforestation witnessed over the years.
Raising awareness on environmental preservation will be necessary if the people are to become sensitive to risks associated with degrading the environment. Equipping them with alternative sources of income is also crucial.
The people should be encouraged to take up sustainable environmental projects such as eco-villages and a clean development mechanism aimed at creating environment-friendly villages by planting trees, protecting water sources and reducing carbon emissions.
We all have a crucial role to play ensuring that we actually live in habitable villages, towns and cities.
