Local investors in Tanzania's Coast Region are calling on the government to create a framework that allows businesses to access strategically located sites with public infrastructure. This, they believe, can accelerate production, agro-processing, trade, and private sector investment in the region. The call was made recently at an investment forum in Kibaha, Coastal Region, which involved business stakeholders.
The Coast Region has significant investment potential that remains underutilized, according to Gideon Kalimanzira, Managing Director of GIPA Foods & General Supplies Limited. His company processes agricultural products, including cassava and cassava byproducts for animal feed. Kalimanzira said government-backed infrastructure could provide a platform for domestic investors to establish processing facilities and add value to agricultural products.
Kalimanzira cited Mlandizi as an example of a strategically located area that could support producers and businesses if local investors were given clearer access. He noted that areas like Mlandizi are difficult for local companies to access for productive activities, despite having infrastructure in place. This, he believes, hinders the expansion of businesses and the growth of the economy.
The forum also highlighted the Coast Region's growing role as a transport and trade corridor. Elly Palanjo, a member of the Livestock Keepers Association in Kibaha, emphasized the need to consider the use of strategic sites from a broader perspective. She cited the Kwala Dry Port as an example of infrastructure intended to ease congestion at the Port of Dar es Salaam and facilitate cargo movement across Tanzania and neighboring countries.
Palanjo also raised concerns that some inland container depots (ICDs) had been developed on land previously designated for community use. She called for such projects to be considered within broader urban planning and regional development plans. This, she believes, will ensure that transport investments deliver their intended results and that the needs of local communities are taken into account.
Richard Kayombo, representing the Estate Chamber in Dar es Salaam, noted that some residents and investors bought land anticipating major development linked to government infrastructure plans. However, he said that to date, development on the scale anticipated has not been seen. Kayombo underlined the need to align infrastructure development with investment planning and provide investors with accurate information about opportunities and development timelines.
For the Coast Region, participants at the forum said the priority is to turn infrastructure into productive capital through transparent access to strategic sites, efficient land use, and stronger government-private sector cooperation. They believe that such an approach can help increase production, value addition, jobs, and trade while improving the economic returns from Tanzania's infrastructure investments.
Key points
- Local investors urge government to create framework for access to strategic sites with public infrastructure in Coast Region
- Coast Region has significant investment potential that remains underutilized
- Participants emphasize need for transparent access to strategic sites, efficient land use, and stronger government-private sector cooperation
