Dar es Salaam: The government yesterday launched a One Stop Centre which will serve customers who use the Dar es Salaam Port. The centre has been designed to enable an environment for the private sector to effectively play its role as the engine of economic growth.
Speaking at the launch of the centre, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Investment and Empowerment, Dr Mary Nagu, said the government in collaboration with the private sector was implementing several reforms aimed at improving the business environment and investment climate.
Dr Nagu said the One Stop Centre would greatly enhance the expansion of existing investments and stimulate the establishment of new ones. She said on government efforts to create an enabling business environment, emphasis has been placed on economic formalisation and growth of micro, small and medium enterprises through simplification and harmonisation of polices and laws.
"The aim of having One Stop Centre is to significantly reduce the cost of doing business, thereby stimulate employment creation and poverty reduction through inclusive economic growth. The importance of enabling business environment in accelerating economic development cannot be overemphasized," Dr Nagu said.
The Centre has been established through assistance from Usaid Tanzania, whose mission director Robert Cunnane, said his agency has provided about $50,000 to procure computers, furniture, telecommunication equipment, printers, photocopiers and scanners to facilitate the centre's operations.
"Usaid and the Tanzania Ports Authority partnered together to design the layout of the Centre and Usaid contributed to information technology system that will allow Dar es Salaam to become a truly modern port. We make these contributions because at Usaid, we believe that Tanzania has a bright future as a leading exporter in East Africa," Mr Cannane said.
