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Stakeholders to discuss Coast Region economic potentials
2006-05-03 09:45:57
By Felix Andrew
The Coast Region may no longer be lagging behind in economic development if new initiatives taken by the government and civil society organisations to identify the untapped potentials and develop them will bear fruit.
Speaking to the Press in Kibaha on Tuesday, the Executive Director of Youth Partnership Country (YPC) Israel Ilunde, said the region has a lot of untapped potentials that if fully used will propel development in various sectors.
’We have a lot of resources such as rivers, tourist attractions, good infrastructure and good farmland. Unfortunately they are not fully used making the region to lag behind in development,’ he said.
He said after examining various potentials that are not properly used, his organization, in collaboration with the Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) are organising a forum to be held in Kibaha town on Friday.
He said the main aim of the forum is to give opportunities to civil society organisations and the general public, particularly the disadvantaged groups that are in danger of being largely affected by poverty to meet their leaders.
He disclosed that about 150 people from all districts have been invited to participate in the dialogue which will be officiated by the Regional Commissioner, Dr Christine Ishengoma.
Said he: ’We have invited representatives from various sectors including farming, fishing, business, all MPs in the region, government as well as non government organisations who will be expected to discuss and put recommendations on how we can save our region.’
Various topics relating to the poverty eradication programme (MKUKUTA) such as good governance, health, water, education, agriculture, business and infrastructure will be discussed, he said.
He added that they will also discuss the challenges in the implementation and evaluation of various development projects and economic strategies, especially MKUKUTA as an input of peoples’ voices to the 2006 parliamentary budget session.
’We expect participants to offer policy recommendations as well as coming up with key issues and agree on how best they can co-ordinate,’ he said.
YPC, headquartered in Kibaha, was established in early 2000.
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