Posted on July, 1, 2019 at 09:37 am
THE government has urged the country’s service providers, including bankers, transport and hotel managers to prepare and be ready to grab enormous opportunities that will come along with the historic meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to be hosted in Dar es Salaam.
The 39th SADC meeting to be held in Dar es Salaam for two days from 17th August this year, will be preceded by other meetings, including the industrial exhibition which is the Fourth SADC Industrialization Week between 22nd and 26 next month.
Addressing a news conference in the city yesterday, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Faraj Mnyepe said that the meeting will be attended by 16 Heads of States and governments from the SADC counties and over 1000 visitors from outside Tanzania.
He said several services will be required in preparations and hosting of the SADC meeting which will be preceded by other activities, including meetings starting from 5th to 18th August, adding that some 500 vehicles will be required daily, financial services, health, and entertainment services will be required.
Dr Mnyepe said that all the requirements of the services is an enormous opportunities for Tanzanians to be ready and get involved to provide and benefit through boosting their income.
“The meeting will start on 5th to 18th, where several meetings and other activities will be taking place, and one such meeting is the inauguration of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC),” he said, adding that former President, Jakaya Kikwete will officiate at the inauguration of the center.
He said the inauguration of the JNICC alongside the meetings for SADC is an honor to Mwalimu Nyerere who was one of the founding members of SADC. Other meetings to be held include an industrial exhibition, top official meetings (between 12th to 9th August) and a Ministers’ meeting scheduled between 13th and 15th.
On the other hand, Dr Mnyepe said that the government through the ministry is strategically prepared to cooperate with services providers by giving them a special chance to provide better services to visitors and get good returns for their services.
He also called upon other Tanzanians to attend the economic forum which will be held during the industrial exhibition week scheduled for 5th to 9th in August.
He said during the meeting, there will be a lot of opportunities that Tanzanians ought to use, pointing out that the economic forum requires Tanzanians to come forth and explore business and trade opportunities and network with other countries.
Commenting on the hotel services, Dr Mnyepe said that the meeting will bring many visitors that will require accommodation from hotels in and outside the city, calling on hotel owners to put up good and healthy environment conducive for the visitors.
“Hosting the SADC Summit is a great honor to us as a nation,” the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi said on 8 May at the commencement of preparations for the 39th SADC Summit.
The last time Tanzania hosted a SADC Summit was in 2003, and the country is determined to once again take a leadership role in advancing regional integration when it assumes the chair of SADC in August.
Source: Daily News