TANZANIAN academician has lauded President Samia Suluhu Hassan for opening up the country to the outside world and expanding economic activities and political space.

Speaking in an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam recently, Prof Abel Kinyondo of the University of Dar es Salaam said that Tanzania is making strides in attracting new investors.

The Associate Professor of Development Economics said that for instance, during her recent visit to Norway, President Samia invited investors from Norway to consider Tanzania as a regional hub for trade and commerce, underscoring the country’s commitment to principles of good governance, human rights and the rule of law.

“Tanzania has what takes to become a regional hub because of our geo-political advantage,” he said.

He mentioned some of the advantages if are well utilised would make Tanzania a regional hub to trade and commerce as: “We are surrounded by landlocked countries, like Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Congo, Malawi, and Zambia,” he said.

“By default we are a regional hub; what we need to do is to ensure our infrastructure and other facilities are good and we become zero-tolerant on corruption.”

He said that he knows some business people in Zambia who do business very close to the Tanzania-Zambia border but use Durban Port in South Africa instead of the Port of Dar es Salaam.

Prof Kinyondo suggested that in order to become a regional hub in trade and commerce, Tanzania should ensure there is efficiency in clearing cargos at the Port of Dar es Salaam and in logistical services.

“If do these, then we automatically become a regional hub because politically we are the most stable in the region and surrounded by landlocked countries.”

According to him, there are various studies that have indicated that if the Port of Dar es Salaam becomes efficient by getting rid of delays, all the landlocked countries would use it.

Citing Singapore as an example, he said that 60 years its economy was like Tanzania’s but today Singapore is an economic giant that mints most of its money in global shipping and logistics. 

“They have managed to reach that level because they said no to corruption and embraced meritocracy,” he said.