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The wide media coverage of the series as
well as the interest in the blog show that the debate has
been gradually moving from ministerial corridors to the
public arena. This latest update foresees that the Tanzanian
economy will maintain its resilience by continuing to grow
at about 7 percent in the coming years. If some clouds are
looming on the external and fiscal horizons, the update
argues that the risks they pose should be manageable. The
majority of the country s top 100 mid-size enterprises
believe that 2013 will be better than 2012; and 2014 better
than 2013. Nevertheless, a growing consensus today is that
Tanzania needs to rely more than today on private
enterprises to achieve faster and more equitable growth, as
private enterprises are the ones that can provide jobs,
build infrastructure, and bring new technology to the local
economy. Many actions are needed on the policy front,
especially to improve the business environment. Tanzania has
gradually opened its economy since the early 2000s; it is
also true that business coming in and going out of the
country remains costly. To reduce trade costs, the priority
should be to transform the Port of Dar es Salaam. An
efficient port is critical because approximately 90 percent
of Tanzania s international trade goes through its gates.
This is a welcome development for local and regional
consumers and firms that heavily depend on the performance
of the port in their daily endeavors.
