Tanzania Business Invites Increased Italian Presence

The Tanzania business sector is looking to welcome more Italian businessmen into the country at the invitation of the Tanzania Government.

Last month during the Tanzanian and Italian Business Forum in Dar es Salaam the Guardian reported that the Tanzanian Minister of Industry, Trade and Marketing, Mary Nagu, said that one of the key factors that contributes to the attractiveness of Tanzania is the peacefulness of the country.

In addition Ms. Nagu went on to say that the current priority in the country’s business atmosphere was focused on investment and joint ventures rather than on exports.

For these reasons, Ms. Nagu indicated that the goal of the Italian Embassy in Dar es Salaam was to promote and facilitate business relations between their country and Tanzania.

According to Ms. Nagu the role of the embassy is to supply potential investors and interested parties with justifiable information on the economic developments and legislative frameworks of both Italy and Tanzania in addition to providing information on specific sectors of interest as requested.

Ms. Nagu indicated that there is currently a need to establish useful contacts with useful knowledge on economic and commercial issues who will be able to help improve the flow of trade and promote the exchange of investments between Italy and Tanzania while, at the same time, encouraging the development of business relations between the two countries.

Ms. Nagu went on to say that the purpose of the Italian and Tanzanian embassies should be to promote trade, industrial cooperation and business opportunities.

“The aim of these offices should be to provide businesses with services in a geographically decentralized context and synergy between Italy’s network of local manufacturers and the Tanzanian market,” said Ms. Nagu.

The current Italian Ambassador in Tanzania, Adolfo Urso, indicated that the Business Forum would specifically help to enhance potential opportunities for the development of trade between Italy and Tanzania

“The Business Forum would enhance the Tanzanian economy: investment opportunities; professional training and qualifications; involvement of the banking system; enhancing role of medium and small scale mining enterprises,” said Mr. Urso.

Mr. Urso went on to say that investors from Italy are ready and willing to take advantage of opportunities in the Tanzania, specifically in the areas of leather and agri-business industries because the country is able to offer both raw materials as well as a substantial amount of labor and available locations.

“Italy, on its part,” said Mr. Urso, “could offer instead entrepreneurship, marketing, knowhow, and particularly the well-known resources of the Italian workers in the field: creativity, fantasy and rapidity of projects’ realization.”