Tanzania And Kenya To Re-Ignite Trade And Economic Cooperation

Posted on : Tuesday , 25th May 2021

Hon. Samia Suluhu Hassan has just completed a 2 day official visit to Kenya where she met her Kenyan counterpart President Uhuru Kenyatta with the aim to unlock trade and build up economic relations.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan addressed the Kenyan parliament, where she pledged to develop co-operative projects including road construction, the construction of a 400 kW power line from Singida to Kenya, complete the One-stop Border Post, and the construction of the Dar es Salaam-Mombasa gas pipeline for which the 2 Presidents signed a memorandum of understanding.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan also participated in the Kenya-Tanzania business forum that took place during her visit and assured participants that the Governments of both countries are ready to give them any cooperation they will need in promoting trade and investment.

“I want to go faster, I want to open up the country, whoever wants to invest should come and invest,” President Samia Suluhu Hassan said.

For his part, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that Tanzania and Kenya should not compete in business but cooperate to further promote trade, business, and investments.

For this, President Uhuru Kenyatta instructed the Ministers involved to allow Tanzanian businessmen to enter in Kenya and invest without needing a business visa or work permit, and end the crisis that led to the banning of maize imports from Tanzania to Kenya.

Samia Suluhu Hassan and Uhuru Kenyatta also agreed to strengthen cooperation in tourism, transport, and logistics.

Kenya is among the Tanzania’s main trading partners, representing 4.3 per cent of all Tanzanian exports and 4.1 per cent of all imports.