Tanzania Daily News<\/a> (Dar\u00a0es\u00a0Salaam)<\/p>\nMeddy Mulisa<\/p>\n
22 December 2011<\/p>\n
\nBukoba \u2014 The Minister for Labour and Employment, Gaudensia Kabaka, has commended the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) for its decision to invest 12bn\/- in Kagera Sugar Limited (KSL), creating employment to over 3,500 people.<\/p>\n
The minister made the remarks on Wednesday at the KSL during a one-day tour in Kagera Region.<\/p>\n
She noted that over 800,000 youths graduate each year from various colleges and universities and that the government could provide employment to only three per cent, leaving the rest to be absorbed by the private sector.<\/p>\n
She urged other pension schemes to emulate the example. She also challenged residents in Kagera Region to diversify by growing sugarcane on commercial basis. She said the region had potential and conducive weather to produce sugarcane both for domestic use and export.<\/p>\n
“There is no reason at all why residents in the region should despair. Sugarcane production is a golden opportunity which should not be missed,” she said.<\/p>\n
KSL Assistant General Manager, Mr Buddana Rao, briefed the minister on efforts taken to rehabilitate the factory, following its bombardment by Idi Amin’s invading forces during the Kagera War between 1978 and 1979.<\/p>\n
He said privatization process was completed in December, 2001 but rehabilitation started two years later due to lack of funds. He said to date the KSL had a total investment amounting to 180bn\/-, with sugar production standing at 50,000 tones per year.<\/p>\n
The company expects to increase production to 100,000 tonnes by year 2012\/13, he said. Mr Rao further said KSL had embarked on modern agricultural technology through application of centre pivot and overhead sprinkler irrigation system.<\/p>\n
He said KSL was using modern Digital Data Survey (DDS) which was linked to satellite. He said the company had also purchased four modern “Case” equipment from the US to improve land preparation and levelling. Each machine costs 400,000 US dollars (about 640m\/-).<\/p>\n
He said to date KSL had a total of 10,500 hectares under sugarcane production, adding that the company was producing five megawatts of electricity each month to supplement its power supply base.<\/p>\n
The KSL boss said the company has a total of 5,500 tonnes of sugar in its warehouses ready for sale. He allayed fears that there was shortage of the commodity in the region.<\/p>\n
He said within the past four years, KSL had recruited a total of 50 graduates from the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and plans to continue with the recruitment drive of between 10 -15 SUA graduates each year.<\/p>\n
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