Tanzanian businessmen are touring the Comoros Islands later this week for business opportunities, a visit organised by the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF).

An online registration has been opened for traders wishing to take part in the visit.

According TPSF the two-day trade exploratory trip will be partly sponsored by a World Bank initiative called the Matching Grants Programme, which it runs.

"We are optimistic that through the mission the Tanzania business community will be linked to their counterparts in the region," the Foundation said.

It said the mission will enable Tanzanian firms as well as individual entrepreneurs "to penetrate the lucrative and fast growing markets of Comoros."

Early last year, Tanzania contributed heavily to the African Union Army that among others retook Anjouan, the capital of the Comoros from rebels.

The AU troops victory was followed latter by reciprocal state visits first by the Comoros President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi that was followed by Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete visiting the Indian Ocean's archipelago.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, France remains the archipelago's strongest trade ally and bilateral donor.

Tanzania and the Comoros signed a trade agreement with emphasis put on investments, trade, health, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, research, tourism and higher education in 2006.

Other high profile investors to the Comoros come from the Middle East, and the United Arab Emirates in particular.

Analysts said the country scored relatively well in monetary freedom and government size.

The multi-island nation depends largely on fishing and subsistence agriculture, which employs approximately 80 per cent of the population and provides 40 per cent of GDP.

Comoros is the world's leading producer of ylang-ylang (a perfume ingredient) and second leading producer of vanilla.

It has a population of 600,000 and a per capita income of 1,144, nearly three times that of Kenya.