State vows to boost tourism expansion

 Natural Resources and Tourism minister Khamis Kagasheki.

PHOTOJOURNO TOURISM 

By  Adams Ihucha,The citizen

Posted  Monday, December 9   2013 

In Summary

“We want to move from conservative beliefs that the private sector has no choice but to obey the government,”

Arusha.The government has announced measures it will take with a view to boosting tourism growth.

From 2014, key state-run-tourism agencies will engage tour operators on a quarterly basis to explore new ideas, strategies and solve emerging hitches to afford tourism lump.

Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) and Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) would be meeting Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato), a minister said.

Natural Resources and Tourism minister Khamis Kagasheki unveiled the measures during a colourful Tato annual gala dinner held in Arusha at the weekend.

Mr Kagasheki said the public and private sectors would forge a united front in a bid to explore best practices to increase tourist arrivals in the country.

Revising the tax regime in tourism industry and exploring new avenues to collect taxes, are among the measures to be implemented.

“I’ve said it time and again, the government does not do business, but it can create a suitable environment for tourism to flourish,” he said. The minister expressed his dismay that Tanzania was the world second best tourist destination after Brazil in terms of natural attractions, yet it receives few tourists.

“We want to move from conservative beliefs that the private sector has no choice but to obey the government,” he said.

Tato chairman Willy Chambulo, said tour operators were keen to work with the government.

He implored the government to recognise tourism as a leading foreign currency earner surpassing gold in the year ending September 2013. Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Monthly Economic Review showed that during the period between September 2012 and September 2013, revenues from tourism rose from $1.61 billion to $1.82 billion, while gold export revenues declined from $2.15 billion to $1.74 billion.

Uvunaji maliasili za Taifa lazima unufaishe Watanzania – Sumaye

08/12/2013 | Posted by Mwandishi Wetu-Tanzania daima.

WAZIRI Mkuu mstaafu, Frederick Sumaye, amesema Waafrika wakiwamo Watanzania wanapaswa kujiandaa kunufaika na uvunaji mpya unaofanyika katika rasilimali zake.

Akizungumza wakati wa ufunguzi wa mkutano wa biashara na vitega uchumi unaohusisha Tanzania na Uingereza jana jijini London, alisema maliasili za Afrika bado hazijasaidia sana maendeleo ya Waafrika kama ilivyo kwa mataifa mengine.

“Kutokana na maendeleo ya biashara, maliasili nyingi zimekuwa  zikutumika sehemu mbalimbali duniani…ukilinganisha na bara la Afrika ambalo halina maendeleo makubwa, maliasili nyingi zinahitajika kutumika kutokana na uwepo wake kwa wingi,” alisema Sumaye.

Katika hotuba yake iliyopatikana jijini Dar es Salaam jana, Sumaye alisema kuwepo kwa maliasili hizo kunatoa mvuto kwa wengi kuliangalia kwa macho mawili bara la Afrika, hivyo kuwafanya wengi kujitokeza kuziwania huku wenyeji wakijiuliza kuhusu ni kwa namna gani watanufaika nazo.

Sumaye ambaye amechukua nafasi ya Waziri Mkuu, Mizengo Pinda aliyeahirisha kushiriki mkutano huo, alisema uvamizi unaofanyika sasa ni kama mwingine wowote uliofanyika katika nyakati zilizopita.

Aliongeza kuwa uvamizi wa sasa una sura tofauti, lakini swali la kujiuliza ni kuhusu nani anayehofia uvamizi huo, kama ni raia wa kigeni au mwenyeji.

“Kwa mimi uvamizi wa wawekezaji kama vile Wachina katika rasilimali zilizopo ni jambo zuri na hasa kama Waafrika watanufaika na wataongoza mchakato wa matumizi ya rasilimali hizo,” alisema.

Alifafanua kuwa ujio wa wavamizi hao ni jambo zuri kwa kuwa wanafanya kwa ushindani, hivyo kutoa nafasi nyingi za kupata mikataba minono, kutegemea na jinsi watakavyokuwa wamechanga karata zao vizuri.

Sumaye alisema jambo la msingi ni kuhakikisha wazalendo wanashirikishwa kwa wingi kadiri iwezekanavyo, na hasa katika kupata fursa za ajira, teknolojia, ushuru na ongezeko la thamani za rasilimali zao.

Mkutano huo ulimhusisha Balozi wa Tanzania nchini Uingereza, Peter Kalaghe, maofisa ubalozi, Watanzania waishio nje ya nchi na wageni wengine.

Hata hivyo, Sumaye alionya kuwa jitihada za kuvutia wawekezaji haziwezi kufanikiwa kama viongozi wake na serikali hazitakuwa makini katika vita dhidi ya vitendo vya rushwa.

“Rushwa katika mazingira yoyote, iwe kwa mwekezaji au serikali, haipaswi kuachiwa iendelee kuwepo,” alisema Sumaye na kuongeza kuwa zipo baadhi ya sekta ambazo zinaendelea kwa kasi kubwa kama ile ya utalii.

EU gives €12.3m to save elephants

By The Citizen Correspondent

Posted  Saturday, December 7   2013

In Summary

• “Illegal killing of endangered species is currently one of the major threats to wildlife in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. It involves heavily armed and organised criminal networks, who contribute to insecurity and, therefore, hamper development.
•  

Dar es Salaam. The European Union has joined efforts to save the African elephant population which is threatened by poaching and illegal ivory trade mostly to Asia countries.

The EU announced this week it would give euros 12.3 million to help fight against poaching by strengthening the monitoring of the wildlife population and poaching. It also promised to help improve law enforcement through training and operational support as well as establishing an emergency response system.

“Illegal killing of endangered species is currently one of the major threats to wildlife in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. It involves heavily armed and organised criminal networks, who contribute to insecurity and, therefore, hamper development. This calls for a coherent approach to tackle threats to biodiversity and security in these three regions,” said European commissioner for development Andris Piebalgs. The intervention came following a meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, between countries whose elephant population is at risk and the countries considered the largest consumers of ivory derived from poaching.

European commissioner for environment, Janez Potocnik said: “This new programme shows that the EU is ready to strengthen its efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and reduce its devastating impacts on biodiversity.

I particularly welcome the focus on better enforcement of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (cites) rules, which will help countries reinforce their capacity in that area.”

He said the EU considered a holistic approach due to high demand in illicit wildlife products and a serious threat to security.

Ujangili unapoteza ubora wa hifadhi’

 TEMBO NI MIONGONI MWA WANYAMA WAKUBWA(BIG FIVE)WALIOKO  HATARINI KUTOWEKA KATIKA HIFADHI ZA TAIFA NA MAPORI YA AKIBA NA HIYO INACHANGIA KUPOTEZA UBORA WA UHIFADHI-PICHA NA JOURNO TOURISM

07/12/2013 | 

Posted by

Asha Bani |

WAZIRI Mkuu, Mizengo Pinda, amesema wimbi la ujangili wa kutisha lililozuka hivi karibuni la kuua wanyama hususan faru na tembo linaelekea kutishia uhai wa wanyamapori na kupoteza ubora wa hifadhi nchini.

Pinda alitoa kauli hiyo juzi baada ya kuhitimisha mbio za Serengeti zilizokuwa maalumu kwa ajili ya kupinga ujangili katika hifadhi mbalimbali za taifa.

Akisoma hotuba ya Waziri Mkuu, Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Simiyu, Paschal Mabiti, alisema hivi karibuni kumezuka wimbi la ujangili kwa kiwango cha kusikitisha likihusisha wananchi wageni.

Alisema utalii ndiyo sekta inayoongoza kwa kulipatia taifa fedha za kigeni ambazo ndizo zinatumika kujenga barabara, hospitali, vyuo, viwanja vya ndege na uendeshaji wa shughuli mbalimbali za serikali, hivyo alimtaka kila mmoja kusimamia na hata kushirikiana katika utoaji wa taarifa wa mauaji hayo.

“Ufanisi wa utalii unategemea sana uwepo wa wanyamapori, hasa kundi la wanyama wanaoitwa ‘big five’ linalohusisha tembo, faru, simba, nyati na chui, hivyo si vema wakaendelea kuachwa wakiteketea,” alisema Mabiti.

Alisema Mkoa wa Simiyu una kilomita za mraba 23,807.7 kati ya hizo 11,723.6 ni eneo la hifadhi ya mbuga za taifa ya Serengeti na mapori ya akiba ya Maswa, hivyo alisisitiza dhana ya kuhamasisha uhifadhi wa wanyamapori kwa kutumia shughuli mbalimbali za matamasha kama ilivyotumika mbio za Serengeti.

Mkurugenzi wa Kituo cha Michezo cha Serengeti, Dk. Titus Kamani, alisema ni wajibu kwa kila mwana Simiyu kutunza mazingira, kulinda wanyama, kupinga mauaji ya albino, ili waweze kuendelea kiuchumi wakiwa na amani.

Alisema suala la ujangili ni kubwa, hivyo si la kuachia serikali pekee ikafanya kazi hiyo.

WANYAMA NI RASLIMALI ZA TAIFA

 TEMBO WANATAKIWA KUHIFADHIWA ILI KULINDA RASLIMALI ZETU

 SIMBA WAKIWA KWENYE MAWINDO

 ANGALIA TEMBO

 TAI

SIMBA

Honey production in Singida Region likely to fall this year

By Beatrice Philemon

4th December 2013

Honey

Honey and beeswax production in Manyoni District, Singida Region is likely to decline in the near future, because of growing number of cash crop and livestock farmers who encroach on forests and destroy them.

The district executive director, Supeet Mseya told The Guardian Monday that the farmers and livestock keepers are from Mwanza and Shinyanga regions.

After observing that water sources especially in woodland forests are almost drying up, making it difficult for bees to access water and flowers for honey production, Manyoni District Council has begun training village, ward and division executive officers on environmental conservation for them to check people who cut down trees.

“The main goal of the training is to help the leaders educate villagers on environmental issues and prevent them from cutting down trees for various human activities,” he said.

The training was conducted on November 15, this year in Manyoni District Council during which a total of 134 village, ward and divisional executive officers were involved.

Besides environmental conservation issues, the training also hinged on rights and responsibilities of the villagers and on the importance of the National Health Insurance Fund.

Of the leaders, 99 were village executive officers, 30 ward executives and fuve divisional officers.

“We have decided to train them because we fear that the more people, especially, livestock keepers from different regions move into the district, the higher will be the risks of our forests to destruction,” he said.

He said at the moment woodland forests and thickets in many areas across the district have greatly been affected as many farmers and pastoralists frequent the areas in search of pastures for cattle.

For example, indigenous tree species like woodland forests and thickets at Jeje, Chikola, Itigi and Mgori villages in Manyoni Districts have disappeared due to agricultural activities and illegal grazing.

“I call upon the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) to take strict measures against those engaging in these activities in the district besides educating them on environmental conservation. Otherwise, in two years time the villages will become a desert and we will not have enough areas for honey production.” he said.

Although the district has already put in place a law that prohibits illegal cutting of trees, still farmers continue to mow down the trees.

Human ecology of the area including vegetation has also affected by ongoing livestock keeping activities, charcoal production and tobacco in other area.
Beekeepers are now suffering massive economic dislocation because of destruction of Jeje and Chikola forests, he said. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

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Govt plans to employ 459 new wildlife rangers, conservators

By Lusekelo Philemon

4th December 2013

Lazaro Nyalandu, Deputy minister for Natural Resources and Tourism

The government plans to employ 459 rangers and conservators across the country’s game reserves in the 2013/2014 fiscal year.

The move is meant to improve security in the protected area as well as strengthening the campaign against poaching.

Deputy minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Lazaro Nyalandu revealed this in Parliament, when responding to a question by Nkasi South MP, John Mpata (CCM), who had wanted to know what plans the government has to increase the number of wildlife rangers and conservators in the Lwafi Game Reserve located in Katavi Region.

The deputy minister admitted that the government was fully aware of the shortage of staff in the country’s game reserves and in particular Lwafi game reserve.

“But, for this financial year, my ministry has been given permission to employ 459, including 27 wildlife rangers and 432 conservators, who are to be posted in all game reserves, including Lwafi Game Reserve,” the minister said.

Nyalandu however stated that Nkasi District Council handed over the Lwafi Game Reserve to the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism in 2011 in an effort to strengthen wildlife security.

“This game reserve is the main source of Lwafi, Ntemba and Kalambo rivers which pour water into Lake Tanganyika. The reserve is also home to endangered species of primates, hence sustainable measures are needed to protect its ecology,” he said.

He called on local communities living near game reserves across the country to remain vigilant and play their active role in conservation.  

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

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