ZANZIBAR plans to invest a whopping 81.6bn/-, over 90 per cent of the blue economy ministerial budget, in various projects to accelerate the country's economic growth, the House of Representatives was told here on Wednesday.
Blue Economy and Fisheries Minister Suleiman Masoud Makame told the house that the government is determined to reinforce economic production through sustainable uses of marine resources.
Unveiling the 89.7bn/- budget proposals for the 2022/2023 fiscal year, Minister Makame said the ministry will in the envisaged budget empower small entrepreneurs with training, capital and markets for their oceanic produce, with the aim being to address unemployment especially among youths.
He identified the ministry's budget priorities as training and empowerment; conservation and management of marine environment; fishery and marine resource researches; construction of fishing and seaweed farming infrastructure; and quality improvement on oceanic produce.
The minister announced the procurement of a huge and modern fishing ship as among the ministry strategies to boost deep sea fishing, adding that the ministry will as well administer the building and distribution of 577 fishing boats to wananchi and construct 100 sea crow, 60 sea crab and 40 fishing dams.
He further explained that the ministry intends to construct two fishing ports--Kizimkazi, Unguja and Shumba, Pemba; fishing camps and provide market services at Malindi port under the Japanese funded project.
Other lined up projects include Tanzania Scaling up sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management project; women empowerment integrated project in seaweed farming and other marine products; agriculture and fishery development project.
Also, Zanzibar Fisheries Company Limited (ZAFICO) and Khairu Naval Craft Engineering Ltd will jointly implement the boat building, sardine processing and deep-sea fishing projects, the minister informed the house.
Construction of a natural gas/LPG storage facility and gas distribution infrastructure as well as bulk storage facilities and oil distribution infrastructure are other high-profile projects in the budget estimates.
The ministry plans to open up new areas and invite prospective investors for oil and natural gas exploration.
The ministry through the blue economy programme envisages conducting researches on the real uses of oceanic areas; conduct policy and structure analyses to facilitate marine area use plan; and marshal and empower wananchi to participate in blue economy; and establish the blue economy development fund.
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Under the fishing development programme, the target is to increase fishing and production of other marine products through farming, with seaweed expected to increase from 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes, annually.
The programme will also through training and equipment empower 5,000 artisanal fishermen to fish in deep waters; and train 200 fishing groups in Unguja and Pemba on modern fish, crow and crab farming methods.
The House's Economic Standing Committee however asked the government to speed up oil and natural gas exploration and move to the extraction works to rescue the country from the effects of price instabilities due to reliance on fuel imports.
The Committee Chairperson Sabiha Filfil Thani called for extensive research on oil and gas, arguing that the islanders are eagerly waiting to benefit from the natural resources.
She challenged the ministry to urgently recruit fishing camps' heads to adequately supervise fishing activities, decrying an acute shortage of the officers especially in Pemba Island.
