|
Kikwete gets WB, IMF nod
2006-05-20 09:22:46
By Correspondent Maura Mwingira, Washington D.C
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have expressed hope that Tanzania will make further socio-economic gains and become Africa’s showcase for rapid economic development.
The observation, was made yesterday by World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz and IMF Managing Director, Rodrigo de Rato when they meet President Jakaya Kikwete at the institutions’ headquarters in Washington DC.
’’I’ll be pleased after five years to hear that neighbouring countries and the rest of the continent admitting that they had failed, while Tanzania had achieved remarkable success.
You have all the resources and capability to do better and to become an exemplary country,’’ Wolfowitz said.
The President Kikwete, who is on state visit in the US, was at the headquarters of the World Bank and IMF to introduce himself to the multilateral lenders’ management.
The two institutions are Tanzania’s leading development partners.
President is using the tour to sell his government’s economic policies to the development partners.
Wolfowitz told Kikwete that, even though his government is still new, he (Wolfowitz) has been following the developments in the country since Kikwete came to power five months ago.
’’I’ve been following closely the developments in Tanzania,’’ he said and praised past and present governments for transforming the economy from a state monopoly to a free market one.
Wolfowitz said that good governance and political stability are critical factors that had contributed to the country’s economic success.
The World Bank chief, advised Kikwete to invest in education to speed up economic development.
He added that Tanzania’s economic strategy that places emphasis on the promotion of small and medium businesses would create employment opportunities for many people.
’’Countries that produce oil boast of their oil. The oil in my view has become a curse to these countries rather than a blessing to spur development. You don’t have oil in your country. The people are your resource,’’ he said.
He promised to help Tanzania in its war against abject poverty.
President Kikwete told the Bretton Woods institutions’ bosses that his main challenge lies in his quest to deliver quality education to the youth of the country.
He cited the drawbacks in the education sector as lack of sufficient classrooms, lack of teachers and insufficient teachers’ houses.
He said the government intends to improve the teaching and learning environment and the construction of a new university. Wolfowitz promised to support the fourth-phase government in its endeavours to transform people’s lives.
He said the Bank would also support Tanzania in planning programmes in which the government will invest the Millennium Challenge Corporation grant it secured from the US government on Thursday.
De Rato, said like World Bank, IMF is proud of being part of the country’s economic success. He said IMF would also support the fourth-phase government in building a strong economy.
De Rato promised Kikwete that he would soon dispatch a delegation to Dar es Salaam to discuss with the government its economic priorities.
|
