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Last Updated: 3.3.2010

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Dar wants radar money sent only to government.

A controversy is likely to mar the handling of compensation arising from the controversial purchase of the $40 million (over Sh50 billion) military radar in 2002. While UK�s largest arms seller, BAE Systems, has admitted to financial impropriety in the radar deal and has agreed to compensate Tanzania, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Bernard Membe, yesterday strongly objected to the company�s suggested means of compensation.
In a thinly-veiled warning, Mr Membe said the government would not accept that BAE pay the compensation to any organisation other that the government.

Kikwete calls on Ambassadors to find solutions to African poverty.

President Jakaya Kikwete has asked African Ambassadors who work in foreign countries to concentrate on finding solutions of poverty that faces their mother countries in Africa. Mr Kikwete, who is visiting Turkey for three days, advised the Ambassadors to learn, generate ideas and use every opportunity that arises in countries where they represent their governments. President Kikwete was addressing 11 Ambassadors from Africa in the capital city of Turkey, Ankara. According to President Kikwete, Ambassadors were responsible for searching market and investors from abroad to invest in their countries in Africa.

Dar's integration policy As East African Community member states prepare to accede to the East Africa Common Market Protocol in Arusha next month, Tanzania is in the process of preparing its policy on regional integration. East African Cooperation minister Diodorus Kamala told that formulation of the policy was in top gear. Upon its completion, the document would give Tanzania’s position on various regional issues, Dr Kamala said in an exclusive interview. Elaborating, the minister said the Government had contracted the Economic Research Bureau (ERB) and Tanzania Industries Studies and Consulting Organisation (Tisco) to work on the policy whose first draft would be presented to the Cabinet in January. "This document will give Tanzania’s position on various issues with regard to regional integration. We want to avoid confusions in future," he said. The Government's decision to formulate the policy follows a delay in reaching an agreement on the East African Common Market Protocol blamed on Tanzania’s rigidity on a number of issues. However, Dr Kamala denied that the policy was the result of mounting criticism from some EAC members who accuse Tanzania of being an impediment to efforts to expedite regional integration. Dr Kamala said the policy was being formulated because the country lacked one. "We had no policy, and when this ministry was established four years ago, one of its major tasks was to prepare the guiding principles on regional integration issues we are now ready for the next stage," he said. He said they were being guided by requirements and protocols, which formed the basis of the integration, but added that national interests were being put before anything else. Dr Kamala said Tanzania had been sticking to its foreign affairs and international cooperation policy whenever it wanted to join regional blocs, adding that it was time the country had a specific policy. "The new policy will be different in that it has a regional perspective," Dr Kamala said, noting that the guidelines would shape Tanzania's approach in regional integration, whether political, social or economic. Tanzania will be the first country in the region to establish such a policy if the Cabinet endorses its draft in January and the document is approved by Parliament in March. The policy is to be modelled along the lines of the European Union (EU) regional policy, which Dr Kamala said was a "powerful document" that aimed to empower countries economically. Earlier, Dr Kamala told reporters that other EAC member states had approved three issues spearheaded by Tanzania during the negotiations on the Common Market Protocol. "I want to assure Tanzanians that other countries in the region have accepted Tanzania’s stance that land and labour movement issues should be left to the discretion of each country," he said. Passports would remain the sole travelling documents that would allow people move from one country to another country unless there were alternative agreements among states. Dr Kamala said East African cooperation affairs ministers reached the agreement in Kampala recently and heads of state would convene in Arusha to make a final decision on November 20. The EAC comprises five countries, namely Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi. "Most of the pending issues have been finalised. Members reached a consensus on almost all the provisions of the proposed protocol and in essence came to the end of the negotiations," he said. He said any investor within East Africa who wanted to invest in Tanzania had to comply with the laws of the country. Likewise, Tanzanian investors had to respect the laws of other EAC members if they were interested in investing in those countries. Karume: Go for herbs in Malaria war Traditional herbs can help to defeat malaria if researchers carefully study the efficacy of the plant remedies, Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume has said. The deadly disease kills over 3,000 people, mostly infants and young children, in Africa daily. In a speech read on his behalf by Zanzibar Chief Minister Shamsa Vuai Nahodha on the first day of the first Pan African Malaria Vector Control Conference, President Karume said herbs could help to overcome the problem posed by malaria vectors that were resistant to insecticides. "Researchers should look into the traditional methods of fighting malaria. Some methods have been known to be environmental-friendly and have been known to be used widely by communities that do not have access to insecticides," he said. The four-day conference, hosted by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, brings together about 150 malaria control scientists and national programme managers from more than 18 African countries. RTI International is the lead implementing partner for the USAID-funded indoor residual spraying (IRS) component of the US President's Malaria Initiative (PMI). The programme is active in 15 countries that receive assistance through PMI, including Tanzania. With the support of PMI, the global fund and other partners, Zanzibar has managed to reduce malaria prevalence in children aged below two years from 22 per cent to less than one per cent. President Karume said the Zanzibar government was currently working on how to sustain the positive development as well as making sure that it responded promptly to a potential resurgence of malaria cases. He, however, noted that the Zanzibar experience could be emulated by other countries and positive results attained. "The war on malaria can be won by anyone as Zanzibar has shown. We only need to join our intellects and energies... success is possible," he said. PMI funding has increased from $30 million (Sh39.3 billion) in 2006 to $300 million (Sh393 billion) in 2009 and is expected to reach $500 million (Sh655 billion) in 2010. However, PMI coordinator Timothy Ziemer said the financier was intent on seeing that the money was spent wisely during this time of economic uncertainty. "There are lots of commitments made towards fighting malaria, but in these times of economic hardships, it is important to ensure that every dollar is spent wisely and that in the end, it makes an impact," he said. The 15 countries that receive PMI funding include Angola, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda and Senegal. Others are Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali and Zambia. Those attending the Zanzibar conference include the president and chief executive officer of RTI International, Dr Victoria Haynes, World Health Organisation's Vector Control Operations Officer for Africa, Dr Birkish Ameneshewa, and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership's, executive director, Prof Awa Marie Coll-Seck.

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