JICA chief promises more support for Veta
Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) president Prof Akihiko Tanaka yesterday pledged more financial and technical support for vocational training in the country in an effort to create jobs.
He gave the promise in Dar es Salaam at the start of a five-day visit to the country. This is his first official visit to Africa after his appointment to the position in April, this year. As part of the tour, Prof Akihiko visited offices of the Vocational Training Authority (Veta) to get first-hand information on progress of various projects supported by JICA.
“Vocational training is an ideal…JICA will continue to support Veta to build its capacity to produce competent technical people, who will contribute to the development of this country,” said the JICA boss.
Tanaka said: “I promise to continue cementing existing cooperation between JICA and Veta. I cannot declare the specific amount of money JICA expects to extend to Veta, but what I can say is that I have been impressed with JICA-funded projects supervised by Veta. Both of us [Veta and JICA] will consult and brainstorm on future plans.”
“I see a bright future in the cooperation between Veta and JICA. And I would like to see experience gained at Veta being applied in many other areas supported by JICA,” noted Prof Tanaka.
Bernadetha Ndunguru, Acting Director of Veta for the Dar es Salaam Zone expressed profound appreciation to the JICA chief.
For his part, Samuel Ng’andu Veta Principal, Dar es Salaam Centre said support from JICA would improve the performance of the training centre, in terms of advanced technical skills, equipment and technologies.
“Enhanced and equipped human resources (teachers trained in Japan) at the centre will help to produce competent trainees who can be employed in private and public sectors or employ themselves in the increasingly competitive technical and mechanical sub-sectors,” he said.
According to a statement issued yesterday, JICA’s support to Veta has been in the form of dispatch of members of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), which aimed at upgrading the skills of Veta staff.
Since 1999, JICA has dispatched about 20 JOCV members in the fields of information technology engineering, automobile maintenance and electric/electronic engineering.