Dar es Salaa: Efforts to transform agriculture must be taken seriously if the country is to make strides in its efforts to create a sizable middle class stratum, a cabinet minister said yesterday. The minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office, responsible for empowerment and investment, Dr Mary Nagu, also commended the Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC) for spearheading the green revolution initiative.
Kilimo Kwanza is a brainchild of TNBC’s Agriculture Working Group. The council, chaired by the President, is also entrusted with responsibilities of coordinating dialogue between the public and private sectors with regard to improving the business and investment climate.
According to Dr Nagu, so far the initiative is on a smooth footing and she urged all Tanzanians to play their role.
'I sincerely thank TNBC for a job well done so far… The fact that a majority of Tanzanians engage in agriculture means that creation of a middle class stratum will be realised only with concerted efforts to improve the sector,' she said during a familiarisation tour of TNBC in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
It was her first visit to TNBC since she was appointed to her current position last month. 'We want to instill in the minds of Tanzanians that they are largely responsible for participating in running the country’s economy. We will facilitate them in this endeavour,' she said.
The TNBC executive secretary, Mr Dunstan Mrutu, said the minister’s visit was a good gesture that she appreciates the council’s role in developing the private sector in the country. 'The country’s economy won’t grow without a strong private sector,' he said.
According to Mr Mrutu, it is in that view that TNBC now focuses on outlining areas that increase the cost of doing business in the country, developing Private Public Partnership (PPP) and developing the country’s human capital, among others.
