Hon. John Mulimba, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for Regional Cooperation, has appealed to the Government of Tanzania, through Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa, to consider procuring the fleet for the Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit System Project from Kiira Motors Corporation.
He was on Thursday addressing the Uganda-Tanzania Business Forum 2024 held at Johari Rotana Hotel Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
The minister further highlighted the significant progress of the government of Uganda through its Science, Technology and Innovation Secretariat in producing electric buses.
He further highlighted the Uganda-Tanzania Business Forum’s potential for growth and development.
Hon. Mulimba who led Uganda’s official delegation to the United Republic of Tanzania, emphasised Tanzania’s strategic partnership with Uganda in trade, security, education, agriculture, and energy.
He noted the immense business opportunities arising from the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project, estimating $20 billion in revenues and creating over 10,000 jobs in various sectors for both nations.
He highlighted milestones achieved since the last Joint Permanent Commission (JPC), including a 12%-15% growth in exports between the two countries.
“Tanzania’s exports to Uganda rose from an estimated $116 million to $225 million, while Uganda’s exports to Tanzania increased from approximately $64 million to $96 million,” noted Hon Mulimba.
Hon. Mulimba called on participants at the second Uganda-Tanzania Business Forum to engage purposefully in discussions, network with partners, and explore potential areas of collaboration for mutual benefit.
Sustainable Bilateral Partnerships in Priority Sectors
The forum also featured a panel discussion session which explored the dynamic and evolving bilateral relations between Uganda and Tanzania, focusing on the significant impact of economic diplomacy and strategic cooperation.
By addressing critical areas such as the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC), energy cooperation, infrastructure development, and future plans, the panellists provided high-level insights and actionable strategies for enhancing mutual benefits and fostering sustainable growth.
Mrs. Margaret Kafeero, Head of Public Diplomacy who moderated the session, said as an international relations shift towards economic diplomacy, both nations prioritize strategic partnerships and cross-border cooperation to drive sustainable development and address shared challenges.
While representing the Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire, Amb. Elly Kamahungye Kafeero, Director of Regional and International Economic Affairs, shared that bilateral partnerships such as EACOP, are key drivers of cooperation and commercial/economic diplomacy.
In his presentation, Amb Kamahungye discussed various types of diplomacy—traditional, public, economic, and commercial—and reiterated the vital role of economic diplomacy in promoting cooperation between Uganda🇺🇬 and Tanzania.
Whereas foreign ministries facilitate trade and collaboration amongst countries by supporting treaties such as AGOA and the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC), Amb. Kamahungye noted the significant role of the private sector in promoting trade.
He acknowledged challenges like the lack of free movement of goods and services, which hinder in this case the full implementation of the EAC customs union protocol. He stressed the need for bilateral meetings to address non-tariff barriers.
Amb. John Ulanga, Director of International Trade & Economic Diplomacy, emphasized the necessity of a conceptual framework for international relations, stating that no country can develop in isolation.
Director Ulanga highlighted that Ministries of Foreign Affairs are crucial in facilitating these relations, drawing on Africa’s history where political relations were dominant and often entangled in global affairs.
Eng. Petro Marwa, Assistant Commissioner for Petroleum Development, at the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy, provided an update on the EACOP project, highlighting that the 24-inch pipeline has achieved 100% land acquisition in Tanzania and 97% in Uganda.
Eng. Marwa mentioned that five batches of the pipeline have been delivered to the coating yard, with coating and pumping station construction currently at 9%.
He emphasized the collaborative efforts of Tanzania and Uganda to ensure the project’s completion and also highlighted cross-border projects such as the Masaka-Mwanza 400kV, Zogizi 39 megawatts (still under negotiation), and the petroleum project from Tanga to Uganda.
He spotlighted the clean cooking project being undertaken by the Government of Tanzania, emphasizing the importance of reducing carbon emissions by promoting alternatives to cutting trees for cooking fuel.
The forum was attended by Rt. Hon. Kassim Majaliwa; Prime Minister United Republic of Tanzania (URT), Hon. January Makamba; Minister of Foreign Affairs & EAC Cooperation, Tanzania, Hon. John Mulimba, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of regional cooperation, Uganda, Hon. Monica Musenero; Minister for Science and Technology, H.E Maj General Paul Kisesa Simuli, High Commissioner of URT to Uganda, H.E Col. (Rtd) Fred Mwesigye High Commissioner of Uganda to URT, Ms. Angelia Ngalula, Chairperson Tanzania Private Sector Foundation, Industry Captains and Business Executives and Heads of Government agencies.
