Tanzania will review the Sustainable Industrial Development Policy (SIDP) by 2020 and come up with proper policy that will support the path for sustainable development of industrial sector.
Tanzania will review the Sustainable Industrial Development Policy (SIDP) by 2020 and come up with proper policy that will support the path for sustainable development of industrial sector.
SIDP was formulated in 1996 and will stay until 2020 aimed towards achieving the overall national long-term development goals as enshrined in the Tanzania Development Vision (TDV) 2025.
The Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) with support from CUTS International and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment undertake the study whose preliminary findings shared to stakeholders.
In his opening remarks at the Fifth NRG Meeting on “Sustainable Industrial Development Policy: What role for food security, climate and trade?” yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Obadia Nyagilo industrial development director in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment said:
Nyagilo added: “Industrialization is well integrated, in the country’s development frameworks although there are opinions that the impact of climate change, food security and trade in agro-processing and manufacturing are often left out during planning and implementation of development programs.”
He noted: “The missing linkage between the SIDP and cross cutting issues of climate change, food security and trade raise the need to be review the SIDP to recognize the unique aspects and importance of harmonizing industrialization and agro-processing, thereby supporting and strengthening the collaborations between industrial policy and the other measures related to climate change, food security, trade and gender.”
In doing so, the country will have an industrial policy that considers the climate-vulnerability of different sectors, prioritizing industries such as agro-processing that are affected by climate negative impacts, while addressing issues of food security and trade, so as to ensure a holistic approach to this important sector, he observed.
He further said that the consequent deliberations with policy recommendations made to the policy makers would have a profound effect on review process of the SIDP for it to consider issues of climate change, food security and trade.
“I also implore upon CUTS, and development partners to continue initiating and supporting institutions such as ESRF in conducting research studies as it is through research evidenced findings that the government would be able to make the right policies for the development of the country,” he said.
On her part, ESRF Head of Strategic Research and Publications Prof. Fortunata Makene said: “The need to review the current industrial policy emanated from the observation that the policy does not accommodate these important cross cutting issues.”
“In depth discussions during the meeting served as a guiding tool towards identification of practical ways to steer up the review process. Ideas were raised on conducting a research study to identify gaps in the SIDP to inform crafting of Terms of References for review of the SIDP,” she said.
She went further saying that the objective of the workshop is to provide a platform for members of the National Reference Group to discuss early findings of a research study on the missing link between the Sustainable Industrial Development Policy (SIDP) and cross cutting issues including climate change, trade, and food security.
The meeting also provides a forum for members of the national reference group to discuss proposed terms of references for revising the SIDP based on the research findings. Participants are briefed on the state of play of agriculture in multilateral negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), she observed.