THE Tanzania Peoples Defense Forces (TPDF) has encouraged business people to grab tender opportunities in the UN Peacekeeping Mission countries that will help to boost and expand their businesses.
This was unveiled on Tuesday this week during the two-day seminar held at the National Defense College with the purpose of building capacity for business people organised by the TPDF in collaboration with the UN.
In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security, Mr Vita Kawawa said that the government's role is to find opportunities for their people within and outside the country.
"We visited the UN Mission and found out that in addition to military services, there are other services provided where our people can take advantage of them.
This is an opportunity that we believe our business people will succeed in. If they go there, they will also see how they can do business with the people of the respective countries, this is the opportunity we saw and brought to them, now it is their responsibility to be aggressive enough," Mr Kawawa stressed.
He said that Tanzanians also have the opportunity to do business there in the various missions that Tanzania serves. This is an opportunity for business people to apply for the tender and provide services as per the UN procedures.
"Today's seminar for our people aims to enlighten them on how to do business with the UN and how to request international tenders as one step forward that will give them the light to do more business internationally," said Kawawa.
On his part, the Chief Coordinator, Brigade General, George Itang'are assured security to business people who will go to provide services in UN Mission countries that all their movements will be escorted.
He said measures to ensure security is being taken by the military but precautions will also be taken in areas where business people will work because there are safe and dangerous areas.
He said that the participation of Tanzanian soldiers in UN Mission countries is great so the seminar aims to ensure that Tanzanians also get a chance to serve the mission in various fields.
"Tanzania is the 12th country to participate in peacekeeping UN Mission but there are no Tanzanian business people providing services like food and other logistics," he said.
Brig Gen Itang'are said it is not easier since it is an internationally competitive business but he is convinced that Tanzanians are capable of providing services in the UN Mission. What they missed were only the skills and procedures which they got in the seminar.
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The UN Entebbe Logistic Centre, Ms Azenath Simbiri who is a procurement official said the aim of the seminar was really to expose the Tanzania business community to the availability of market opportunities in the countries where the UN Mission operates.
"We want to take them through the steps so that they can understand and also enlighten them on the modality of tender processes because the UN does business when you are registered with them. So we have a platform called the United Nations Global Market (UNGM).
"This market is there available for the Tanzania business community. Some of them are aware, others are unaware and some of them are registered already but the idea was to tell them that the registration is not enough they have also get out there and look for opportunities because the UN is a global entity that belongs to all members states so they have to compete with suppliers from other parts of the world," Ms Simbiri insisted.
