Topics and answers for an interview between President Benjamin William Mkapa and journalists from Presse Media held at State House Dar es Salaam on Friday, 16th March, 1999.

1. TOPIC - Tanzania's political stability is one of its best assets. Mwalimu Nyerere was the first post-independence President to step down voluntarily in Africa, and Mr. Mwinyi also retired gracefully after his two terms in office. This is not what the outside world expects of African politics!  We expect leaders to hang on tenaciously to power until forced out of office. What makes Tanzanians different in this respect?

ANSWER - As you have aptly put, Tanzanians are different in respect to African politics.  Tanzania is the only country in Africa which has sustained its union attained in 1964 between Tanganyika and Zanzibar.   We are the sole country in Africa with two retired Presidents living freely amongst their people and highly respected personalities within the country and outside our boundaries.  Thanks to the founding fathers of our nation who from the time of the struggle for independence united more than 120 tribes to fight colonialism and continued relentlessly to preach the word of unity to their people even after attaining independence.

Tanzanians have since worked tirelessly to forge a united nation.  The nations' founding fathers, under the able leadership of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere saw the danger of this nation disintegrating if policies of equity and hope were ignored.  At independence chiefdoms were abolished thus dismantling key institutions which would have perpetuating tribalism and regionalism.  The government went further to introduce policies of hope and endeavoured to live up to the expectations and aspirations of the majority.  It was during this time that the famous Arusha Declaration was adopted as the country's blueprint for development which anchored on socio-economic equity, self reliance and respect for all mankind.

Tanzanians realised very early that policies based on unregulated liberalisation could easily polarize the society.  The objective of policies of equity were geared towards building a Tanzanian society free of glaring dichotomy  between the rich and the poor. The founding fathers knew, a nation without hope and aspirations for its people is a recipe for destabilization.  We have all along striven, and indeed we continue to strive to build a strong nation based on an equally strong economy with a human face.  This goal can only be achieved by embracing policies which do not exclude certain segments of the society.  My government will continue to cherish these ideals ideologically and in practice, and together we shall stand united.

2. TOPIC - Compared to most of your neighbours, Tanzania also looks very good on security front - both personal and national.  Instability in Burundi and the Rwanda/Uganda/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border is drawing world-wide attention while violence in Nairobi appears to be increasing at a frightening rate, and Kenyan magistrates are now considering hiring bodyguards after the killing of one of their colleagues recently.  Can Tanzania distance itself from such developments while pursuing ever-closer economic union through the East African Cooperation (EAC)?

ANSWER  -  Most people throughout the world are of  the opinion that Tanzania looks to be very good on the security front, but in reality it is not.  No country can feel safe and comfortable when its borders are constantly threatened with an influx of refugees.  I don't have to describe what it entails to receive thousands of refugees on regular  basis.  It suffices to say that Tanzania's security front is not secure as long as instability continues to shake its neighbours.

Which is why Tanzania has been playing  a crucial role in the region to bring peace to all conflict ridden areas in the neighbouring states and in the process assure the security of our borders so that our people can live and work in a peaceful  atmosphere.  Currently the Burundi peace talks being held at Arusha under its International Facilitator, Mwalimu Nyerere are steadily progressing well.

The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is of great concern to us.  When the new leadership took over from dictator Mobutu Sese Seko  in June last year, the region had high hopes that there was ultimately room for democracy and development in the country.  Unfortunately peace did not last long in the Congo when a disgruntled faction decided to take up arms against the new government.  However, we are happy to learn that the government of Laurent Kabila  has indicated its willingness to commence negotiations with the rebels conforming with Tanzania's position which believes in a peaceful negotiated settlement rather than taking arms.  We have all along argued in favour of a negotiated settlement because fighting will continue to take innocent lives while finally  negotiations have to take place anyway.  Why can't this opportunity be taken now to save lives, property and time?

Conflicts can also be easily resolved through regional integration.  States which would otherwise be concerned with internal conflicts would tend to forget their differences when they identify themselves with a larger of greater entity.  Thus our pursuit of closer economic union through the EAC, is in conformity with those ideals to bring about peace in the region, culminating to faster economic development and the maintenance of collective security in the respective area.  Closer relationship with our neighbours is a pre-requisite to our foreign policy.   We strongly believe that wanton killings, civil wars and other related conflicts in Africa are products of poor economics.  Since East African Cooperation objectives are basically to foster faster economic development we look forward to economic emancipation of the region and its people.  In that context  the threat of violence in the region does not arise.

3. TOPIC -  Do you think closer integration of East African Cooperation countries will have an adverse or positive effect on your non-EAC neighbours?  I notice you are about to embark on an ambitions project to develop Mtwara port with Malawi.  How have your relations with your other neighbours been altered by EAC advancement?

ANSWER - Closer integration of EAC countries cannot have an adverse effect on our non EAC  neighbours.   EAC countries which comprise of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya have a long history of cooperating in many areas.  At the time of independence about 40 years ago, East African leaders even conteplated of forming an East African Federation.  Hence the establishment of EAC is basically a continuation of the historical relations which began by the inception of the East African Common Services Organization (EACSO) by colonialists in 1940s followed by the post independence East African Community established in 1967 which unfortunately collapsed in 1977.

In establishing the East African Cooperation, priority is being accorded to economic cooperation, in the long run.  Currently there exists considerable convergence of the three member states perceptions and policies relating to regional integration and it does not in anyway alter our relations with other regional economic forums which we happen to be members.  If anything, any economic project undertaken either on bilateral or multilateral basis compliment each other.  The Mtwara corridor project therefore, is no exception.

4. TOPIC - In your New Year message you warned that 1999 would be a year of famine.  What efforts are currently being undertaken to minimize the impact of food shortages and what steps should be taken to reduce the vulnerability of Tanzanians living in rural areas to unpredictable weather patterns?

ANSWER -  The government has so far taken various measures  to minimize the impact of food shortages.  Firstly, the government has exempted any tax on food imports.  Several businessmen have taken this advantage to order grain from neighbouring countries and abroad to reduce the food deficit.  Secondly, the government has taken emergency measures to order food straight from exporters without passing through the normal bureaucratic procedures of tendering.  These two undertakings pertain to short term measures.

As for the long term measures, agriculture which contributes more than 50% of our GDP is part and parcel of the government's economic reform programme to transform agriculture from subsistence farming to modern export industry.  We are inviting foreign investors to invest in the agricultural sector.  More emphasis is now being put on large scale farming and irrigation.  In so doing, our food security reserves will always remain stable and in the process reduce the vulnerability of Tanzanians living in rural areas to unpredictable weather patterns.  In the meantime peasants are being educated to move a step further by getting rid of the archaic hoe and use at least a plough and those who can afford, a tractor.  More yield per acreage is also being emphasized. 

5. TOPIC -  While Tanzania's prospects for economic growth are reasonably good, Africa as a whole faces a difficult task due to investor nervousness (legacy of Russia and Brazil crises), loss of competitiveness (due to devalued Asian currencies), and political instability, what is going to set Tanzania apart from other African economies over the next 5 years?

ANSWER -  Problems facing Tanzania don't differ much with those facing the African continent.  Tanzania like most African countries are economically backward due to lack of financial, technological and human resource capacity to tap the abundant resources available to enable the country achieve socio-economic transformation and sustainable development in a conducive political atmosphere.

As  mentioned earlier, Tanzania has an edge compared to many African countries in terms of political stability and tranquility.  Coupled with its strategic geographical location and abundant natural resources, Tanzania can easily excel in many fronts thus setting it apart from other African economies over the next five years and beyond. Tanzania is bracing to be the hub of economic activities in East, Southern and Central Africa as well as being part of the enlarging integrated market in East and Southern Africa under the auspices of EAC and Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The on-going economic reform programme has opened up our economy to foreign investment in order to attract financial, technological, managerial capacity as well as knowledge of markets to flow into the country to jump start Tanzania's economy in its endeavour to transform the country to economic prosperity for our mutual benefit.

We have completed setting up a competitive legal and fiscal framework for private investment which encompasses the liberalization of the banking and financial services.   The crusade has begun to bear fruit.  We are now witnessing growth in the economy averaging 3.5% to 4.5% with an inflation dropping from 30% four years ago, to a single digit of 9% as of last month.  We have also managed to stabilize the exchange and interest rates, foreign currency convertibility and improved balance of payment position and current account.

The ultimate objective is to raise economic growth to a sustainable 8.9 per cent by the turn of the century and subsequently sectors of tourism, mining, construction and power would take a centre stage in our economy. Those sectors shall be beefed up with the transformation of agriculture from subsistence farming to modern export industry.

6. TOPIC- After a period of transition, Tanzania is now ready to enter the global economy on her own terms.  In what markets do you expect Tanzania products to hold a competitive edge?  In what ways does Tanzania promote bilateral trade?  What is the key to Tanzania's new economic policy that will take advantage of the foundations that have been laid over the last decade?

ANSWER - We have our own misgivings on the assumption that         Tanzania is now ready to enter the global economy on her own terms.  We are also very pessimistic whether terms under the World Trade Organization (WTO) will enable us penetrate markets which are currently an exclusive domain of multi-nationals.

However we have not been deterred by the seemingly desolate future.  Our resolve to embrace regional integration is part of our strategy to initially win markets within the region.  The on-going strategy within the ACP countries to negotiate with countries of the North to rectify some of the WTO terms to give the Most Favoured Nation status to ACP countries is yet another alternative and an optimistic undertaking for us.  Bilateral economic ties which normally entail the establishment of joint commissions is yet another outlet for our goods and there is great emphasis and encouragement in strengthening such ties.  

Faced with inherently unfavourable terms of trade within the international economic system, Tanzania will continue to systematically advocate for favourable terms in all relevant fora of the world.  We will also continue to work closely with investors and we believe, with their inputs, this strategy will bail out the country from its dependence of donor assistance to self-reliance and self-development.

7. TOPIC -  You recently appealed to African universities to find        more effective use of limited human and financial resources in order to prepare graduates for an increasingly globilized economic community.  This is valuable advise, but is not the efficiency of universities ultimately dependent on the secondary schools that supply the student?  With only 5% of Tanzanians attending secondary education it seems investment in all areas  of education should be a priority for Tanzania.  What are your views?

ANSWER - This matter was well articulated during my address to the education sector reform and development programme appraisal conference held in Dar es Salaam a fortnight ago.  The conference afforded an opportunity for all stakeholders in education sector in Tanzania to touch base with each other and with major donors for this sector in an endeavour to improve the education sector in the country.

The ruling party - CCM election manifesto of 1995 set a clear objective for the administration on the education sector and the third phase government under my leadership is determined to attain as much as possible.  The manifesto emphasized the need to focus on the expansion of existing education facilities at all levels and on how to sustain expansion while at the same time strengthening all levels of education so as to improve the quality of education offered. 

During the conference I expressed my concern in regard to problems of quality and access in our education system giving examples of various areas, such as literacy rates which have been declining; net enrollment ratio at primary school level remain at 56.7% only; and as you rightly put, at secondary school level they stand at 5% while in the higher levels, Tanzania can only enroll about 0.9% of those who in theory could benefit from tertiary education.

While my government is quite aware what it means to be a nation of educated people and that education can transform a society to achieve great strides in science and technology, unfortunately we are not running the education sector in isolation of other service sectors such as health and water.  All in all, the government has decided to increase the budget of education from the current level of 22.5% to 25% by the year 2003/4.  Other measures include the introduction of an Education levy to help reduce the finance gap in the sector.  Within the education sector, basic education will take the lions share followed by secondary and finally higher education.

At this stage when 80% of Tanzanians can only expect basic education, there is need to improve and enrich it to facilitate our young men and women to retain an education and the skills to make them useful members of their respective societies and the community at large.

8. TOPIC - Tanzania has played an important role in the development of several regional and international organizations, including the OAU and the Non-Aligned Movement and called for a new international economic order.  How do you view the future of the relationship between the world's rich economies and developing nations such as Tanzania?  What is the secret to untying the current polarization of the world into lenders and debtors?  Does all the talk at Davos Switzerland achieve anything?

ANSWER -   We are active members of various regional and international organizations, a clear testimony on how Tanzania cherishes and attaches great importance to regional and international institutions.  We are members of many such a fora which include the UN, the Commonwealth, OAU, Non-Aligned Movement, SADC and lately the EAC.

The call for a new international economic order is not a new foreign policy position to Tanzania and many other countries of the South. This is a crusade which has been going on for almost four decades and it encompasses the entire block of the South.  It is a plight of poor nations as well as newly industrialized countries.  The recent financial crisis in Asia attests to this.  The economic backwardness which was mentioned earlier, has basically engulfed the entire African continent due to lack of financial, technological and human resource capacity to tap the abundant natural resources for the benefit of the continent and its people.

While we continue to strive for a better socio-economic gains through macro-economic reforms, the rich North must realise that they have a major role to play in bringing  about equity in the international economic system.  It is high time countries of the North took deliberate and courageous steps to create an equitable international economic system with fair but competitive trading relationship between members of the international community.  A political will by countries of the North towards that objective will highly be appreciated.

On the current state of polarization of the world into lenders and debtors, we are encouraged by the recent call by President Bill Clinton for a tripling of the debt write-off package an offer for the world's poorest countries to cancel $100 billion in loans.  Although the proposal involves only countries reforming their economy in line with the International Monetary Fund prescriptions, this is a step forward to us since Tanzania and a few other countries may qualify under this scheme.  This offer should go an extra mile by cancelling all debts of Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC).  Why can't the North do what the victors of the Second World War did to their foes when they cancelled all debts pertaining to war reparation.  If they did it then, and all went well, why can't they do it now.

As for the Davos talks, yes, the encounters are healthy and must be encouraged.  The talks are not only a source of knowledge and exchange of views, but also serve as a forum for donor-recipient relationship.  Davos is one of the best fora for the private sector of the North to understand and have the grasp of the plight of the poor South.