Tanzanian Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) Director of Promotion and Facilitation, Ms. Zawadia Nanyaro, has recently announced that total export earnings from members registered under the entity’s legislation, have reached the USD 794 million or TSZ 1.58 trillion in the last five years.
These earnings are product of a capital investment of USD 1.27 billion or TSZ 2.54 trillion that was injected into the members seven years ago when the project started under the surveillance of the Tanzanian Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Agro-processing accounted for the largest amount of the initial investment totaling 39%, followed by engineering 31%, textiles 21%, and mineral processing 9%, explained Ms. Zawadia in a recent interview with local media.
Solely last year, members’ earnings reached USD 220 million or TSZ 440 billion spread in a total of 130 industries. This year, earnings are expected to surpass the TSZ 600 billion, she added.
EPZA targets to register another 25 companies this year seeking to raise the participation of foreign exchange in the country by promoting Tanzanian products to enter the US market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The act was signed in the 2000 and represents a total trade of USD 52.1 billion between the US and the Sub Saharan region from which Tanzania represents the 0.7% according to the US International Trade Administration.
A new 9,000 hectares Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is being developed in Bagamoyo, northern coastal region of Tanzania which is planned to be the catalyst of the industrialization’s development in the country and to raise its international competitiveness in a period of ten years from now.
The new zone will host more than 1,000 factories and is expected to raise the current labor demand from 31,923 to 500,000 jobs with the same benefits that companies operating in Export Processing Zones (EPZs) or SEZs which include a number of tax exemptions for a lapse of ten years.
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