Tanzania: DITF calls upon Tantrade to study AGOA needs
Tanzania Trade Development Authority (Tantrade), has been urged to carry out research in AGOA to identify market needs and relay the information to local businesses so as to enable them to customise their services.
Maajar, Tanzanian-US Ambassador made the remarks on Sunday at the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) when she paid a visit with VIP business executives from the US to hold talks with Tantrade’s Acting Director General Samuel Billy Mwingira before visiting the exhibitions.
“…I encourage Tantrade to market our businesses because the majority of Americans are not aware of the business opportunities in Tanzania… and so many Tanzanians are not benefiting from the AGOA market…” said the envoy.
Tantrade was also advised to organise trade missions for Americans to show the potential in agriculture, energy, mining, tourism and other businesses.
The trade authority was warned not to exclusively depend on DITF to promote them rather, “… visit the consumers in their countries, talk to them and identify what they need… because we have so many products that can be exported to different countries including the US.
Offering Serengeti Beer an example, she said the Tanzanian beer is a favourite in America, yet Tanzania doesn’t export it but Kenya does.
She also called on American companies to look into the Tanzanian market citing telecommunication and mining as booming sectors that American companies may find of interest.
Yesterday, the VIP visitors were scheduled to fly to Zanzibar for a leisure exploration of Stone Town and other tourist attractions and the entourage, as they were honoured by President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, will have an exclusive dinner with honorable, President of Zanzibar Dr Ali Mohamed Shein.
The business executives and managing directors from some of the world’s most successful companies visited Lake Manyara, with its legendary tree-climbing lions, the Selous Game Reserve and Ngorongoro Crater accepted as the Eighth Wonder of the World, an all around ‘Safari in Africa’ holiday trip.
Tanzania remains lagging as one of the poorest nations in the world in terms of per capita distribution. Most of the citizens live in rural area without electricity or even clean water and the cities are congested with large population living in slum makeshift shacks.
The nation’s economy is nonetheless crawling in the right direction and is expected to keep doing so. The DITF was happy with this year’s participation saying:
“This year we have 11 countries participating at this fair, 170 Chinese companies come under the China Brand to showcase their products, and we have about 60 Syrian companies about 32 Rwandan companies...”
The event is held annually in an effort to boost growth and business integration.
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