POLAND will support Tanzania’s agriculture and water sectors by offering funds and expertise.
This was revealed by the Deputy Director of Department of Economic Cooperation, in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Konrad Pawlik, in Warsaw.
According to him, Poland has already provided Tanzania with 110 million US Dollars through Tight Aid Credit/ loan for the improvement of the agriculture sector.
He said Polish companies were involved in the implementation of the loan by building a tractor assembling facility and constructing grain storage in Tanzania for food security.
On top of that, Mr Pawlik said that in September, this year, Poland, OECD and Tanzania launched, in Dodoma, a joint project on water management which is funded by Poland and costs around 50,000 Euros.
In November there will be a study visit to Poland of a group of Tanzanian experts. He further said Tanzanian experts will visit Poland to see and learn how far Poland has developed water management systems and standards.
On the side of tourism sector, Mr Pawlik told the ‘Daly News’ that over 10,000 Polish tourists visited Zanzibar and Tanzania Mainland, this year. He said cooperation in such sectors will bring fruits to both countries.
The Polish government has also promised to strengthen its cooperation with Tanzania in various areas such as education, health, tourism, agriculture and water management system.
He noted that development cooperation does not mean that one side gives and the other just receives, but it is a full involvement of both sides in the matters concerned.
“We want to work with Tanzania in various fields of development, not only just in development cooperation. We want to extend our friendship into various sectors like education, healthcare, tourism and agriculture,” said Mr Pawlik.
Mr Cygan said that some students including Tanzanians are already pursuing their university studies in Poland and the programme among other things, will lead to better economic and development cooperation between the countries.
He noted that Tanzania was one of the five priority beneficiaries of the Polish development aid in Africa.
He mentioned other African countries listed in the programme as Kenya, Ethiopia, Senegal and Uganda.
However, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, their major focus for Tanzania is on education and health sectors, as well as the environmental protection and entrepreneurship as key to sustainable development.