TANZANIA: THE French Embassy in Tanzania has vowed to partner with the country in its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy in supporting the implementation of its development goals.
French Ambassador to Tanzania Mr Nabil Hajlaoui made the remarks recently, during the New Year cocktail event that brought together the French and Tanzanian business community.
The cocktail organised by the French Embassy and the French-Tanzanian Chamber of Commerce (FTCC) at the residency of the French Ambassador was aimed at providing an opportunity for local company leaders to network with potential partners and customers from the European country.
The gathering also marks a groundbreaking event (the first Tanzanian ESG Trophy), the innovative competition that recognises outstanding contributions to ESG principles, whereby, five companies were competing for the challenging award, each proving their dedication to sustainable and responsible business practices.
"Here, we invest in the country according to the government demand and request, because France is a reliable partner of Tanzania in supporting the implementation of its development goals. This ESG trophy awarded tonight illustrates the contribution of the FTCC to this objective. France supports Tanzania's clean-cooking initiative," he said.
He added, "Our development minister attended the clean-cooking meeting with President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the side event of COP28 summit in Dubai last December. Furthermore, in May 2024, France will host the International Energy Agency Summit on clean cooking in Africa to be co-chaired by President Samia."
According to him, with the trophy, the FTCC wanted to reward the companies who have ESG policies in place and, given the importance of these topics, encourage and inspire those who do not yet have a policy in place.
GasFasta was announced as the winner of the innovative ESG Award, recognising its outstanding commitment to environmental, social and governance excellence.
GasFasta is a digital cooking gas distribution platform that offers convenient, fast and affordable access to clean cooking gas for consumers in Tanzania and East Africa.
Transition to clean cooking is a priority to reach Sustainable Development Goals on Energy. Household air pollution causes respiratory illnesses and heart problems that mainly affect women and children.
However, access to clean cooking remains slow in Tanzania and Gas Fasta is able to accelerate the access to clean cooking energy. Their platform provides various channels, including a mobile application, WhatsApp, calls,
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SMS through which customers can easily access clean cooking gas at affordable prices, with free delivery and credit options.
In order to further support ESG initiatives the FTCC committed to continue to take initiatives that will allow its members to get operational, legal and tax Information on how to approach an ESG strategy for their company, but also what kind of initiatives can be implemented.
General Manager of the FTCC, Elise Lagache commended the companies that participated in this first ESG trophy award in Tanzania, noting that he is delighted to see enterprises in Tanzania implementing ESG programmes and mobilising their efforts in this area.
"These sustainable values are shared by international and Tanzanian companies who have the talent to put them into practice" he said.
During the event, guests include companies that are active in the manufacturing and industrial sector, construction, agriculture, health, transport and logistics, energy, hospitality and engineering sectors, among others. Large corporations and medium and small companies are part of this network, as well as 15 Tanzania start-ups.
FTCC's mission is to support the growth of Tanzanian and French businesses by assisting and facilitating trade, investment, finance, and industry activities. Therefore, the FTCC provides a platform for exchange and business networking to both Tanzanian and French companies.
The Chamber is also dedicated to helping French companies and Entrepreneurs set up in Tanzania in their development project and to promoting exchanges related to business opportunities between France and Tanzania.
