consultant, Dr Adelhelm Meru, has called on state and private sector decision
makers to adequately use existing economic processing zones to speed up the
country’s industrialisation drive and make Tanzania a middle-income nation in
the next seven years.
Dr Meru told a Public-Private Dialogue meeting that attracted senior
government officials and members of the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation
(TPSF) in Dodoma recently that present zones should be profitably used and more
zones created.
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| Dr Adelhelm Meru (Photo credit: Alleastafrica) |
He said at the moment creation of industrial parks is inevitable. He defined
an industrial park as an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial
development, further explaining that the park is one form of special economic
zone (SEZ).
Dr Meru described an SEZ as selected geographical area which is provided
with special business environment to promote priority economic activities,
adding that the SEZ may include industrial parks, Export Processing Zones, free
trade zones, free ports, tourist parks, science and technological parks.
The consultant said Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda have made significant
economic gains by making good use of economic processing zones. Outside Africa,
he named China as the country, which he said has used the zones to make
economic wonders within three decades.
He explained that since l978, China has focused on producing and exporting
products from EPZs, turning itself into a world economic giant. “China has made
miracles in the world of industries. It has made huge development strides using
industries. In 2010 Chinese economy was declared the second largest economy in
the world,” he said. Dr Meru called on Tanzania’s decision makers to take a
leaf from China.
