WELCOME TO TANZANIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE (TCCIA)

The Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) was established in 1988. It was initiated with the support of the Tanzanian Government to strengthen the private sector. The establishment of the TCCIA was an important step in moving on from a centralized, planned economy towards a more open, mixed economy giving full scope to privately owned enterprises and farms.

TCCIA has opened regional offices in all 21 regions of mainland Tanzania and over 92 district centers, which are autonomous in their operational activities. Assistance by Swedish governmental development agency SIDA has played a vital role in establishment of the regional and district Chambers especially in providing training, office equipment and mobilization/sensitization of the business community.

These autonomous TCCIA Chambers in 21 regions of the country links the private sector to the Government with a view toward promoting the development of private enterprise. By linking issues central to business, the Chamber serves an arena where dialogue with the government serves to promote sustained growth and development of the private sector. All 21 Regional Chambers are non-profit, with nominal membership fees for its members.TCCIA is currently having over 16000 members.

TCCIA is not only operating on its own, it has established a wide network of organizations and associations and thus the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs of Tanzania (FAWETA) has decided to affiliate. This is a positive development as the two organizations have complementing objectives. TCCIA takes the advantage of the network to achieve results with the device “alone you are weak, together we are strong”.

Services provided by TCCIA to the business community include business information, training, advocacy, business supportive initiative (i.e. processing business license) and business promotion activities, for instance, trade fairs and missions.

TCCIA has for example expertise in many areas of interest to local businesses for their development. It can then offer these skills and information in the form of Seminars, Workshops and Training in a number of fields. All these are related to the business activities of the member companies. Therefore the demands of the companies direct the work of the Chamber. Trade promotion is encouraged through participation and representation in national and international Trade Fairs and international delegations. This in the long run will give member companies the possibility to increase trade opportunities.

The Chamber of Commerce receives a great number of business inquiries from all over the world. They concern companies trying to find customers or suppliers and are published in newsletters, which are distributed to all full-paid member companies.

TCCIA organizes a number of activities for its members and also for those who are not members.
During the year several seminars/workshops and courses are taking place. It can be on different subjects but also for different target groups.

Advocacy and lobbying is taking place on various levels. The businessperson is welcome to the chamber to get advice and contacts on the spot or it is possible to forward questions via email. Lobbying is taking place on the topic of burning issues for businesspersons. Although, the business community is always welcome to give TCCIA the possibility to intensify or bring new issues on the agenda.

Business promotional events such as business delegations are very important for the international trade. Each year TCCIA as only host or as coordinator is organizing business delegations to various countries. TCCIA is also welcoming and hosting business delegations from other countries as well as co-operating with other institutions and organizations for these events.Today, TCCIA represents the private business sector throughout Tanzania.

WAKUU WA IDARA SIMAMIENI MIRADI- GAMBO

MKUU wa Wilaya ya Korogwe, Mrisho Gambo amesema Shirika la Hifadhi za Taifa (TANAPA) sio mfadhili bali ni idara ya Serikali inayojitegemea ambayo imeamua kuisaidia jamii kupambana na umaskini kwa kusaidia miradi ya maendeleo na huduma za jamii.

Alisema kuwa sio busara kwa baadhi ya wakuu wa idara na wataalamu kwenye wilaya tano zinazozunguka Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Mkomazi za Korogwe, Lushoto, Mkinga, Same na Mwanga kutaka kulipwa posho na shirika hilo wakati wa usimamiaji wa miradi hiyo.

Aliyasema hayo juzi wakati akifungua warsha ya siku moja ya ujirani mwema kwa viongozi wa wilaya hizo tano wakiwemo wenyeviti wa halmashauri, maofisa tarafa, madiwani, watendaji kata na wadau wengine iliyofanyika mjini Korogwe.

Gambo alisema inashangaza wakati TANAPA ikitoa misaada kwa jamii kwa ajili ya miradi ya maendeleo na huduma za jamii, badala ya wataalamu wa halmashauri kuunga mkono jitihada hizo wanataka wapewe kwanza posho ndiyo waende kusimamia miradi hiyo.

“TANAPA huwa wanatoa msaada kama wa kujenga zahanati, shule na huduma za maji kwenye maeneo magumu kabisa. Tena wanatoa asilimia 70 ya msaada huo na jamii ichangie 30, lakini badala ya kuunga mkono jitihada hizo, wakuu wa idara ambao ndiyo wataalamu wetu wanataka kwanza wapewe posho.

“Unataka posho ya nini wakati wewe ni sehemu ya watumishi wa halmashauri na ukumbuke kitendo chako cha kutaka posho kinakwamisha mradi husika, hivyo nawaomba wataalamu wetu waache mtindo huo ambao unakatisha tamaa watu walioamua kuisaidia jamii yetu,” alisema Gambo.

Gambo aliwaomba TANAPA kujenga kituo cha polisi Kijiji cha Kalalani, Kata ya Mashewa wilayani Korogwe, kwani kitasaidia ulinzi kutokana na kijiji hicho ambacho kinajishughulisha na uchimbaji madini kuwa mpakani mwa Kenya na Tanzania.

Mhifadhi Mkuu wa Hifadhi ya Mkomazi, Donat Mnyagatwa alisema hifadhi hiyo ina miaka sita tangu ipandishwe hadhi kutoka Pori la Akiba na imeweza kupiga hatua ikiwa ni pamoja na kuimarisha ulinzi na usalama eneo zima la hifadhi ikiwemo rasilimali zake zote. 

“Pia tumeboresha miundombinu na huduma kwa wageni, kujenga mahusiano mema na wananchi wa vijiji vinavyozunguka hifadhi hiyo, baadhi ya viongozi wa tarafa, kata, vijiji na raia wema wametoa taarifa za uhalifu ambazo zimesaidia kukamatwa majangili na kuzuia uhalifu,” alisema Mnyagatwa.

WAJASIRIAMALI WAUNGANA ILI KUTUNISHA MFUKO

WAJASIRIAMALI waliopo kwenye vikundi saba tofauti vya Kuweka na Kukopa ndani ya Kijiji cha Kidogozero Wilaya ya Bagamoyo Mkoa wa Pwani wameungana na kuwa na kikundi kimoja chenye nguvu kiitwacho Tukishirikiana Tunaweza.

 Akizungumza mbele ya wanavikundi hao pamoja na maofisa kutoka Plan International Bi.Jema Helman na Bw.Kulwa Daud wa UHIKI, Mwenyekiti wa kijiji cha Kidogozero, Ally Mmanga alisema kuwa hatua hiyo inalengo la kupata kikundi kimoja chenye nguvu ambacho kitakuwa na uwezo wa kupata mikopo kutoka kwa mashirika mbalimbali ili kujiinua zaidi kiuchumi.

Mmanga amevitaja vikundi ambavyo vimeungana kuwa ni Vijana Jembe, Wanawake Tunaweza, Juhudi, Jitihada, Mshikamano, Jikomboe na Maskini Tunaweza umoja ambao unajumuisha wanachama wapatao 218.
"Sisi viongozi waserikali kwanza tulikaa na viongozi wa vikundi hivi saba na kuwafikishia mawazo yetu ya kuwataka waungane kwa lengo la kupata kikundi kimoja chenye nguvu, tunashukuru wazo letu wakalikubali walipokwenda kuzungumza na wenzao wakafikia maamuzi na hii leo tutapata viongozi wa muda ambao watauongoza umoja huo," alisema Mmanga. 

Alisema kwamba lengo pia ni kutunisha mfuko wa muungano wao ili waweze kukopeshana kwa masharti nafuu, kupata pembejeo pamoja na zana za kilimo kama trekta ili kurahisisha kilimo kwa wajasiriamali hao.
Kwa upande wake Ofisa Mtendaji wa kijiji hicho, Bi. Zakia Digoo alisema kuwa hatua hiyo inaunga mkono juhudi za serikali ambayo inawataka wananchi kujiunga kwenye vikundi kwa lengo la kuwafikia kwa urahisi zaidi kupitia mikopo mbalimbali. 

Kwa upande wao maofisa hao kutoka Plan na UHIKU wamewataka viongozi hao kuhakikisha wanawasiliana na ofisi hizo kwa ushauri ili malengo yao yaweze kuwa na mafanikio na kwamba watakuwa karibu nao kufanikisha malengo yaliyowekwa na umoja huo. 

Baada ya mkutano huo wana-umoja hao waliteua viongozi ambao watawaongoza katika kipindi hiki ambapo Mwenyekiti ni Said Sango, Ramadhani Kibambe Katibu huku Mhazini akiteuliwa Nuru Lichapwike.
Akitoa shukrani kwa niaba ya umoja huo mwanachama Shaha Kiwilima alianza kwa kutoa shukrani kwa serikali ya kijiji pamoja na wataalamu hao na kueleza kwamba watajipanga kikamilifu ili kuona malengo yao yanakuwa na mafanikio.

WAKAZI KUNUFAIKA NA ZAO LA TUMBAKU

WATANZANIA wa naoishi eneo la makazi ya wakimbizi la Ulyankulu, wataanza kunufaika na ushuru wazao la tumbaku ambao walikuwa hawaupati baada ya kuvunjwa kwa Kata zilizokuwa ndani ya eneo hilo. 

Akizungum zana wananchi hao, Mwenyekiti wa Halmashauri ya Wilaya ya Kaliua , John Kadutu, alisema utaratibu unafanywa ili nao waanze kunufaika na ushuru wa zao hilo. 

"Hivi punde wananchi wanaolima zao la tumbaku wataanza kunufaika na ushuru na hii itasaidia kusukuma maendeleo  yao mbele," alisema.

Kadutu alisema kuwa vilevile wanachangia Halmashauri kupata mapato kupitia ushuru huo unaorudishwa kwenye kata kwa ajili ya maendeleo.

Kadutu ambaye pia ni Diwani wa Kata ya Ichemba, alisema wananchi wa eneo hilo wanalima sana zao hilo na ni jambo zuri nao kupata ushuru wa zao hilo kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya eneo lao baada ya kuikosa kwa muda mrefu sasa.

Kwa mujibu wa Kadutu ushuru wa tumbaku uliokuwa ukitolewa kwenye kata zilizokuwa ndani ya eneo la makazi ya wakimbizi, umekuwa ukipatiwa Kata zilizo jirani na eneo hilo ambalo baada ya kuvunjwa kwa Kata zake limekuwa halina wawakilishi katika Baraza la Madiwani. 

Zaidi ya wakimbizi 50,000 wanaoishi eneo hilo ambapo wengi wao tayari wamepatiwa uraia wa Tanzania baada ya kuomba na hivyo kuendelea kuishi na Watanzania wengine wanaofanyakazi kuwahudumia ikiwemo shuleni na katika zahanati.

SUA: INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM TRIPLES MILK PRODUCTION

The Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) has recommended that dairy farmers should adopt integrated farming system so as to improve fodder in a move to advance milk production from an average of 6 to 16 litres a day.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Guardian in Morogoro at the weekend, SUA senior lecturer Prof Lusato Kulwijira said that integrated farming system helps dairy farmers to preserve fodder for use during the dry season.

Prof Kulwijira noted: “It is something exiting for those of us who are practicing this system in Njombe Region. Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) is working with the dairy farmers, looking at all the elements of farming to see how they all work together.”

He added: “When SUA and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) started the research Programme for Agricultural and Natural Resources Transformation for Improved Livelihoods in Tanzania (PANTIL) from 2006  to 2009 and its success or Enhancing Pro-Poor Innovations in Natural Resources and Agricultural Value-chains (EPINAV) project which started in 2010 and is expected to end in 2015 have shown a great impact.”

He pointed out that productivity of dairy farming system in Njombe Region has tremendously increased from 6 litres to about 16 litres a day.

“Enhancing Pro-poor Innovations in Natural Resources and Agricultural Value-chains (EPINAV) project of the dairy cow project in Njombe Region has resulted into the best practices and is now being scaled up to ten villages from four,” he said.

He insisted: “Dairy cattle in the villages that we are implementing this project have drastically improved milk yields even the dry season.”

He underscored that a well-kept and clean udder reduces the chances of the cow to get infected with mastitis. Mastitis occurs when cows are milked under unhygienic conditions, allowing bacteria to go into the teat canals.

“In addition to the importance of hygiene when milking, it is also important to remove all faces from the enclosures where the animals are kept. Here, utilisation of manure comes into the picture. The manure is used in three ways. First, the urine is removed through a drain and stored because most of the soil in Njombe is acidic, the urine works as a buffer that elevates pH levels,” he said.

He insisted: “The dung is either used for biogas production or turned into dry manure. The use of urine and dry manure result into a great increase in crop yields per acre, therefore dung can also be turned into biogas, which is a renewable energy source used for lighting and cooking.”

The don also said that experiences from the project show that using biogas reduces the time spent by women and children to fetch firewood and improves the health of the family, as there is no smoke from the cooking.

“The EPINAV entered into a collaboration agreement with the Tanzania Domestic Biogas Programme (TDBP) to carry out studies on the use of bio-slurry and to extend biogas technology to all the six new villages in Njombe Region,” he said.

SUA has over the years developed and tested a good number of productivity enhancing technologies and best practices in various pilot villages in the country. Uptake of the technologies to wider communities in the Districts and Regions remains a challenge.

EPINAV Programme came into effect on December 2010 when the agreement between the governments of Tanzania and that of Norway was signed. It covers a period of four years beginning November 2010 and ends in 2015.

The principal objective of EPINAV programme is therefore to address the up-scaling of proven technologies and promote adoption of agriculture and natural resources to the effects of climate change.