THE State Minister, Office of the Second Vice-President (Policy, Coordination and House of Representatives) Mr Hamza Hassan Juma has said that majority of Zanzibaris are set to benefit from the ongoing implementation of the blue economy agenda.
Mr Juma said that on Sunday when he officiated the opening of the one-day seminar on 'setting the scene for blue economy coordination' for ministers and their deputies; principal secretaries, and other executives.
"Many programmes and projects are being implemented and we hope that with support from development partners, blue economy is heading to reality," he said.
During the meeting, Mr Juma asked the ministers and participants to come up with ideas on how to strengthen coordination for smooth implementation of blue economy programs.
He pointed out that since the formation of the blue economy and fisheries two years ago, already a lot of admirable achievements have been recorded including policy formation and strategic plans for blue economy and fisheries.
He urged participants to focus on how to coordinate on fish farming, marine transportation, energy, Oil and Gas exploration, and strengthening Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Dr Aboud Suleiman Jumbe- Principal Secretary (PS) said that coordination among players was crucial in achieving sustainable blue economy particularly in implementation of the laws and policies including attracting regional and international support.
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"After having policies and regulations on the blue economy and fisheries in place, we have better coordination in key areas of the blue economy and fisheries such as seaweed farming, and other programs. We need guidance from ministers," Dr Jumbe said.
He explained that it is fortunate that the blue economy and fisheries has been backed by several programs supported by different development partners with more than USD 340 Million, including World Bank, KOICA, USAID, Ireland, and also the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
The seminar on 'setting the scene for blue economy coordination' was fully funded by the World Wild Fund for nature (WWF) and its representative Ms Matrida Simfukwe said they have been working closely with the United republic of Tanzania in developing and sustain marine resources, including implementing the National Plan of Action Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (NPOA-IUU).
Prior discussion, participants heard presentations from Dr Jumbe on the status of the 'implementation of blue economy and fisheries,' Mr Edward Senkondo-Program Officer on WWF programs, and Mr Zahor Kassim Elkharousy on 'blue economy policy' implementation.
