STATE of the art manufacturing facilities are being built at Ikelu area of Makambako town in Njombe Region, to produce steel, innovative tourist vehicles, iron powder, lime and cement.

Xu Xingda, the Fujian Hexingwang Industry (T) Ltd managing director, issued this overview during a visit to the construction site with Ambassador Chen Mingjian plus a number of local government officials and residents.

The total investment for the project, including construction costs, is projected to exceed 1bn/- and once operational, the factory is expected to create over 500 jobs for local youth, covering formal contractual positions and casual labour.

Highlighting the project’s significance in boosting economic development in the region and the country at large, he said that modern factories are another step in driving economic growth in East Africa.

He acknowledged the support received from the regional authorities, especially RC Anthony Mtaka and government agencies in fostering a favourable investment climate.

The RC expressed regional ambitions to position Makambako town as an industrial hub, citing similar efforts in various industrial centres close to national borders, for instance the construction of a chalk factory in Simiyu.

The capital is also being developed as an industrial centre, as a fertiliser factory is coming up in Dodoma, he stated, noting that these efforts have the backing of the central government, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan visiting the region recently, in pursuit of the president’s instructions to ‘think outside the box’ and work to transform the regions.

“It is our responsibility to seize every opportunity that comes our way,” the RC noted, while the envoy praised the project as a catalyst for job creation and economic growth.

She emphasized its potential to supply high-demand products both domestically and around the region, enabling earnings of foreign currency, while Makambako MP Deo Sanga hailed the investor’s decision to establish operations in Tanzania,

He said the decision was influenced by the country’s peace and improved investment conditions, appealing to local residents to educate their children on prospective skills needed when the factory starts operating.

The investor donated two laptops, a printer and school badges for 450 children in a show of supporting community commitment, while pledging to construct a classroom at Ikelu Primary School, further supporting local education initiatives.