Tanzania’s new president, Samia Suluhu, has appointed Bashiru Kakurwa as the nation’s new fisheries minister.
The appointment came among a slew of moves made soon after Suluhu was sworn into office, having been declared winner of the nation’s 29 October disputed election after securing nearly 98 percent of the votes.
Kakurwa, a former political science professor at the University of Dar es Salaam who has also served as the chief secretary of the president, is replacing Abdallah Ulega in the role and now has the task of delivering on several promises Suluhu and her ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party have made.
For instance, Suluhu, in a 14 November speech given to Tanzanian Parliament, committed to harness the potential of the East African country's marine and inland fisheries by implementing major projects financed both from the national budget, the private sector, and international lenders.
More specifically, Suluhu has pledged to complete the construction of a Chinese-backed fishing harbor in Kilwa that has a 315-meter quay and an annual fish-handling capacity of 60,000 MT. The project, currently under construction, is expected to create at least 30,000 direct and indirect jobs along the seafood supply chain.
Kakurwa's appointment also coincides with the launch of a five-year USD 117 million (EUR 100 million) project financed by the World Bank that aims to scale up sustainable marine fisheries and aquaculture output. Among other beneficiaries, the project targets small-scale fishers and coastal communities via construction of more modern fish markets, the development of seafood-processing facilities, and the expansion of fish, seaweed, and sea cucumber aquaculture production.
Elsewhere, Kakurwa is also likely to take on a review of Tanzania's current fishing licensing regime in order to better harness the country's deep sea fishing opportunities – another promise made by the CCM party during Suluhu’s campaign – complete an ongoing stock assessment on Lake Tanganyika, and more effectively market Tanzania as an ideal destination for tilapia and seaweed investors, among other tasks.
The new minister will have to clear several hurdles, though, in order to complete the ambitious tasks outlined.
The country has often struggled to attract investment from both the private sector and foreign investors.
A recent U.S. Department of State report highlights that several factors have largely snuffed out the desire of foreign investors to back projects in the East African country, including “arbitrary, untransparent, and inconsistent application of tax policy and regulations; increasing corruption; lengthy and open-ended negotiations with government ministries to start a business; difficulty in hiring foreign workers; challenges finding high-skilled local workers; regulatory and policy instability;” and more.
Additionally, persistent instances of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing have led to decreased export totals, lost wages, and depleted stocks.
To that end, Kakurwa has pledged to uphold the rule of law in the fisheries sector and confer with Parliament to close any gaps regarding IUU fishing regulation.
