Zanzibar Plans to Revive Export Processing Zones to Benefit From EAC

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Al-Amani Mutarubukwa

2 May 2011

The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar plans to revive Export Processing Zones (EPZ), President Dr Ali Mohammed Shein has said, bringing hopes of the recovery of the once failed industrialization approach.In a speech delivered to members of the Turkish business community in Istanbul yesterday, Dr Shein said Zanzibar plans to revive its EPZ system by empowering Small and Medium Enterprises so they (the SMEs) can win the expanded East African Community (EAC) market.

“We are planning to have a Free Port as well as Economic Production Zones suitable for manufacture of light products by SMEs for the vast East African market of 130 million people,” he said in a speech which was also made available to The Citizen in Dar es Salaam yesterday.Dr Shein is in Turkey on an official visit, aimed at consolidating relationships and promoting trade and economic relations between the Semi-autonomous Indian Ocean archipelago and the industrialized Eurasian country.

He said Zanzibar has high potentials for assembling of tractors and other vehicles for the hinterland market. The country has also put in place, a lot of incentives to attract investors.According to the World Bank’s Doing Business in Zanzibar 2010 report, Zanzibar ranks 37th out of 183 world economies on the ease of doing business surpassing other small island economies such as Mauritius (65), Seychelles (70), Jamaica (130), and the Comoros (152).

Dr Shein, whose ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi formed a Government of National Unity with archrival, Civic United Front, appealed to the Turkish businesspeople to explore Zanzibar’s enormous investment potentials in tourism, fisheries, manufacturing and agro-industry.

“Zanzibar has a very fast growing tourism industry. This is due to many factors, the principal of which are Zanzibar’s attractive history, inter-racial culture, peace and stability, excellent tropical climate with lots of sunshine and many other wonders which are unique to Zanzibar,” he said.

The tourists’ arrivals from Europe and other continents have been growing steadily since 2007. Currently, there are 225 hotels and guest houses with a total number of 5,301 rooms. Zanzibar is served by a number of international airlines, some with direct connections with Europe and the Middle East.

Currently, the Turkish Airline flies direct to Dar es Salaam.

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