Dar es Salaam – In efforts to achieve Tanzania’s Vision 2050 of building a $1 trillion economy, PPP Centre Tanzania has organized a high-level national symposium bringing together scholars, researchers, and private sector stakeholders to discuss the future of the energy sector.
The symposium was held at the Confucius Institute Hall within the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and was led by the Centre’s Executive Director, David Kafulila.
While opening the discussion, Kafulila emphasized that Tanzania cannot achieve its ambitious economic goals by relying solely on taxes and loans, but must instead embrace strong collaboration with the private sector through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
He noted that for Tanzania to join the group of only 19 countries globally with a $1 trillion economy, it must generate at least 70,000 megawatts of electricity to support industrialization and production.
“Loans and taxes alone are not sufficient to achieve this major goal; we need a comprehensive PPP framework that fully involves the private sector,” Kafulila stressed.
Kafulila also revealed plans to allow private sector investment in electricity transmission, noting that the government has already initiated discussions with TANESCO to ensure safe and effective implementation. He cited countries like Brazil and India as successful examples of such models.
The discussion gained further momentum when a political science lecturer at UDSM, Sabato Nyamsenda, questioned the safeguards in place to prevent past energy sector scandals from recurring.
In response, Kafulila assured participants that the current PPP policy and legal framework have been specifically designed to address past shortcomings, while emphasizing the importance of public participation from the early stages of projects.
Meanwhile, international law expert Eva Hawa Sinare urged public institutions to strengthen strategic communication, warning that delays in providing accurate information in the digital age could lead to misinformation and reputational damage.
The symposium has been seen as a critical platform for shaping strategies that will strengthen Tanzania’s energy sector and support the country’s long-term economic ambitions.
0 Comments