Zanzibar — As Zanzibar prepares to enter the election campaign season next week, President Hussein Mwinyi has called on religious leaders, politicians and journalists to champion peace and national unity.
He said that sustainable development cannot be achieved without stability.
"Everyone should promote peace and foster national cohesion. It's the only way we can continue building our country and achieve the progress we aspire to," President Mwinyi said yesterday during a meeting with editors and senior journalists at State House in Zanzibar.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
The media delegation, led by Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) Chairman Mr Deodatus Balile, included editors from Dar es Salaam who toured Zanzibar to assess development projects implemented under President Mwinyi's leadership over the past five years.
Balile praised the presi- dent for exceeding the devel- opment targets outlined in the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) 2020-2025 Election Manifesto, citing key achievements in water supply, roads, education, ICT, health, ports and other strategic sectors.
Responding to journalists' questions, President Mwinyi attributed Zanzibar's development gains to three pillars: Peace and stability, enhanced revenue collection and disciplined public spending.
"When I took office, the Zanzibar Revenue Authority (ZRA) collected an average of 20bn/- per month. Today, collections have reached 80bn/-, while the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) collects around 50bn/- monthly in Zan- zibar," he revealed.
He further disclosed that the government deposits 15 million US dollars (about 37.4bn/-) monthly into a dedicated debt management account to ensure timely loan repayments.
"By the time I leave office in 2030, if relected, Zanzibar will be debt-free," he said, adding that this fiscal discipline has boosted confidence among both domestic and international lenders.
President Mwinyi high- lighted several flagship proj- ects currently underway, including a 55 million US dollars (about 137.3bn/-) water project in South Unguja, a 27 million US dollars (about 67.4bn/-) project in North Unguja and modern vocational training centres focusing on ICT and construction skills.
He also listed digital trans- formation initiatives across sectors, education, revenue and public service delivery as other notable success areas.
On ICT, he emphasised the importance of digitisation in modern governance, "We want all sectors to embrace digital transformation from schools to tax systems and ser-vice delivery."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The president also noted the expansion of the blue economy, noting progress in fish farming, acquisition of modern fishing vessels and establishment of seafood processing plants.
He listed several upcoming port infrastructures which include Shumba Port, which will link Pemba and Mombasa and a cruise ship terminal at Mangapwani.
