Musa Juma
16 November 2008
Arusha — The Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ezekiel Maige has urged the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) to work more closely with communities surrounding the national parks in order to avoid conflicts.
Minister Maige who was on a tour of the Arusha National Park, wanted TANAPA to apply modern methods of conservation and community approach so as to avoid unnecessary conflicts with the people that they are supposed to serve.
Currently there is conflict between the Arusha National Park (ANAPA) and the park's surrounding villagers who are claiming a disputed part of land for agricultural purposes.
The Deputy Minister said it was difficult to believe the conflict story and that people wanted the disputed piece of land for cultivation as it looked rocky. The Deputy Minister added there must be something else for the people's push to the area.
He called on TANAPA to play its role by ensuring smooth conservation approaches and the government would shoulder its defined responsibilities under law.
Meanwhile, ANAPA has increased its park collections from Tsh.1,466,459,569 in 2005/2006 to Tsh.2,517,768,944 in 2007/08 fiscal year, ANAPA's Chief Conservator Erastus Lufingilo told the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, last week when the later visited the park.
Lufungilo said the collections came from both local and foreign tourists who visited the park over the period.
He said in 2005/06, 47,545 tourists visited ANAPA while in 2007/08 the figure rose to 55,976.
In 2006/07, 53,715 persons visited ANAPA and contributed some Tsh.2,362,636,388 to its coffers.
Lufungilo attributed the sharp rise in number of visitors to Tanzania's promotional drive of its attractions and TANAPA's efforts in improving its infrastructure.
The conservator said ANAPA boasts of unique fauna and flora, breathtaking landscape (Mount Meru, Ngurdoto Crater) and other wonderful scenery.
Lufungilo said ANAPA also supported the surrounding communities in the social services projects such as health, education and water supply.
The minister congratulated TANAPA and ANAPA in particular for promotional of the environs and tourist industry for national ecological and economic good.
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