Tanzania Trade Fair Preparations Near Completion

A recent report by the Daily News has indicated that 95 percent of the preparations for the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), which is set to take place between June 28 and July 8, have been completed and the Tanzania trade sector is prepared to welcome 25 countries, 40 government institutions and 630 private organizations to this year’s event entitled, “Building a Global Network for Business Cooperation.”

In fact, according to the Board of External Trade (BET) Director General, Ramadhan Khalfan, the spaces in the fair’s permanent building have already been filled and, therefore, participants who are still applying for spaces are being given open spaces behind the Saba Saba building.

Mr. Khalfan went on to explain that the BET was planning to spend TZS 200 million in order to improve the open spaces.

The improvement project would involve the laying of bricks on approximately 15,000 square meters of the open space so as to prevent dust and to create a favorable atmosphere and solid ground for exhibitors.

In addition, Mr. Khalfan said that other improvements to the fair have been planned and will be executed in order to make this year’s exhibition better than previous ones.

One of these improvements is the construction of 9 ticket booths, which will help ease congestion at entry points.

“In order to avoid long queues when entered the trade fair grounds, we have decided to construct 9 structures which will shelter 12 ticket sellers in each structure,” said Mr. Khalfan.

According to the Daily News report, the BET Acting Director of Export Promotion, Edwin Rutageruka, said that every possible measure had been taken in order to improve the issue of congestion and he was optimistic that the efforts would prove to be a success.

Mr. Rutageruka went on to explain that the system would be maintained in order to attract additional interested parties to participate in the trade fair, noting that security was also given high importance and was at the top of the agenda at the board’s meeting.

According to Mr. Khalfan, the BET is anticipating the fair to result in the establishment of partnerships and joint ventures between local business people and other foreign enterprises who will be participating.

To this end, the BET General Director explained that two days of the fair had been specifically set aside in order to allow local and foreign business people to participate in breakfast buyer seller meetings as a means of introducing the local business person to their foreign counterparts.