Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal, the Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania
By
Nasser Kigwangallah
RESEARCH ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION (REPOA) organised the 18th annual research workshop-2013.
The
2 days workshop was held from April 03,
2013 to April 04, 2013 at the Kunduchi
Beach Hotel & Resort in Dar es Salaam.
The theme for this year’s workshop was “The
Quest for Inclusive Development.”
There was a keynote presentations
during the opening session, and other presentations from experts and
distinguished scholars from Tanzania and other countries selected strategically
to share their experiences of the inclusive development in different sectors of
the economy.
The
keynote address was on Problems vs.
Polarities; The Importance of Understanding Stakeholder Nuances In Your
Quest For Inclusive Growth by Datuk Chris Tan, Director, Performance Management
And Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) of Malaysia,
which is one of the emeging economies of the East Asian countries.
The workshop
was earlier inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Gharib Bilal, the vice
president of the United Republic of Tanzania.
In his inaugural speech, the vice president emphasised on the importance of research for the
development of the country.
He urged
researchers to make findings of their research to the people in the villages so
that they could feel part and parcel of the research.
Dr. Mohammed Gharib Bilal said
remarked: “Our development Vision 2025
envisions Tanzania as a middle income country with a dynamic and competitive
economy by 2025.”
He added that a competitive and dynamic
economy however, cannot come about or be sustained in a society characterized
by poverty and inequality.
“It can only be achieved and sustained
when economic growth is both robust and inclusive,” he said.
Dr.
Bilal said inclusive development must at a minimum, ensure that the majority of
the population participate in the development process through productive
employment and engagement in diverse forms of productive economic activities as
well as broader access to basic social services.
According
to him, Tanzania has during the last decade or so been achieving high economic
growth, 7 per cent on average, and Tanzania aspires to become a middle income
country by 2025.
However,
he warned that the growth has not
translated into poverty reduction and job creation.
Presenting
a paper on “Productive Employment for
Making Economic Growth More Inclusive in Tanzania” Dr. Rizwanul Islam, thr former Employment Sector Special Adviser,
for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, said: “Indicators of
inclusive growth should start from stable economic growth, sustainable economic
growth which should include poverty and inequality reduction, productive
employment, improvement in access to education and health and basic social
protection floor for all citizens.”
According
to him, this includes protection against old age, unemployment and disability
among others.
He
said Tanzania has been doing well in average per capita income which has grown
substantially at 3.8 per cent in the 2000s. The country’s GDP growth rate has
also been quite stable as compared with those in other East African
countries.
REPOA
is an independent research institution which creates and utilities knowledge to
facilitate socio-economic development.
REPOA produces high quality research, provides training, facilitates knowledge
sharing and promotes the use of accurate information in policy development.
Closing the annual workshop, Professor Samwel Wangwe,
the Repoa executive director said unemployment was one
of the major issues discussed at the recently ended workshop.
According
to him, this year’s theme was chosen based on the fact that research on
development in its economic, social and political dimensions has shown that
meaningful efforts to improve the quality of life in society require shared and
inclusive growth and development.
He thanked presenters for
enabling the workshop to be successful and thanked participants for their
tireless efforts of being friends of Repoa.
“Please continue supporting
us so that we could execute our responsibility more rigorously,” he said.
Professor Wangwe urged
researchers to emphasize on expanding their research to villages where majority
of the people are based.
ABOUT PROFEESOR SAMWEL WANGWE
Professor Samwel Wangwe
Professor Samuel M. Wangwe has a
Ph.D from the University of Dar es Salaam (1980), an MA (Economics) from the
University of Dar es Salaam in 1973 and a BA (Economics and Statistics) from
the University of Dar es Salaam in 1972. Prof. Wangwe has authored eight books,
including Economic Challenges Facing the Third Phase Government (with Prof. Van
Arkadie), Exporting Africa: Technology, Trade and Industrialization in
Sub-Saharan Africa (1997).
Prior to assuming his current
position, he was chairman of Daima Associates Limited (DAIMA), a private
consulting firm based in Dar es Salaam that offers a range of professional
services directed towards the economic management and policy analysis, policy
advisor on coordination of reforms in the Office of the President, Public
Service Management, a post he took after eight years as Executive Director of
the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), a nonprofit nongovernmental
policy research institute focusing on capacity building in economic and social
policy and development management in Tanzania. He is principal research
associate with the ESRF and is chairing the Independent Monitoring Group which
is tasked to monitor aid relationships between donors and Tanzania government.
He has 35 years experience as an economist and policy researcher and policy
analyst and policy advisor, and as economist and an economic advisor to the
Government of Tazania. He has authored/co-authored/edited 13 books development
and economic management and over 70 published articles in journals and edited
books. In addition he has led and/or participated in over 80 consultancies
addressing development policy and economic management in a wide range of areas
including formulation and implementation of strategies and policies, industrial
development, agricultural development, infrastructure, finance and poverty
studies.
He holds a bachelors degree in Economics and Statistics, masters degree in
Economics, and a doctoral degree in Economics from the University of Dar es
Salaam; and has also worked as the head of the Department of Economics as well
as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the same university.
During a three-year leave of absence from the University, he was senior research
fellow at the Institute for New Technologies of the United Nations University
in Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Besides the African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) network, has served on a
number of advisory boards including the Bank of Tanzania, the Tanzania Housing
Bank, and the National Micro Finance Bank and has chaired several boards
including the State Mining Corporation, the National Institute of Productivity,
the National Social Security Fund in Tanzania and is currently chairing the
Social Action Trust Fund and the Kibaha Education Centre in Tanzania.
He has also been a member of several commissions, special committees, and task
forces including the Fourth Five Development Plan Working Committee on Industry
and Technology; the Committee for Improving National Statistics; the
Secretariat of the Tanzania Advisory Group; the Presidential Commissions on
Exports and Salaries; the Tax Force on Restructuring the National Bank of
Commerce; the Advisory Committee in Financial Sector Reform, and was Chairperson
of the national Consultative Committee on Fast Tracking the East Africa.
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