BANK of Tanzania (BoT) governor Prof Benno Ndulu has assured local sugar producers of the government’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for investment so that the country becomes self-sufficient in the popular sweetener by 2021
Speaking on a visit to the prominent Kagera Sugar Limited (KSL) company in Kagera Region, governor Ndulu acknowledged KSL’s “impressive track record” and pledged to help the company explore various options for further expansion.
“We expect that through our support, KSL will be able to contribute more to the national economy, by increasing employment opportunities, boosting foreign exchange earnings through sugar exports, contributing to the exchequer through various taxes, and generally being an industrialisation role model for the country,” he said.
The KSL management briefed Prof Ndulu on the company’s history, current status, and plans for major expansion and production going forward.
The central bank boss said he was impressed by the company’s commitment to an effective manpower development programme across all levels, leading to steadily increasing production levels since being privatised in 2001/2002.
It started off as a much smaller sugar plant before being damaged during the war with Uganda in 1978, and replaced with a larger facility formally commissioned in 1982 and ushering in the current KSL set-up.
KSL is currently one of the country's four top sugar plants, alongside Tanganyika Plantation Company (TPC), Mtibwa and Kilombero factories which, according to the state-run Tanzania Sugar Board (TSB), currently supply 291,000 metric tons of the sweetener annually against a national consumer demand of about 590,000 mts.
Industry and Trade Minister Charles Mwijage last October challenged the firms to "find new alternatives and ways to increase the production of the sugar product that will eventually make the prices more stable because of abundant availability.”
Despite a drought that the region has experienced for the past year, the factory is targeting to produce a record 68,000 metric tonnes of sugar this season, in line with President John Magufuli’s vision of ensuring Tanzania becomes self-sufficient in sugar by 2021.
Chief executive officer Ashwin Rana outlined the company’s ambitious growth programme for the next five years, including better utilisation of land, water and human resources at its disposal to achieve maximum growth in the sugar sector.
The company’s much-vaunted manpower development programme includes annual recruitment of college graduates who undergo intensive training courses as part of integration, sugar technology training for operators, and artisan skills development for non-graduates.
Meanwhile, KSL board chairman Seif A. Seif called on the government to look into the possibility of Tanzania following the example of other leading sugar producing countries “by ensuring favourable financial terms for investors engaged in sugar production”.
Seif pointed out that by their very nature, the successful implementation of most large-scale agricultural projects involves many years of investment and effort.
“The sugar production business is therefore not sustainable at commercial bank rates. Government support through development banks such as TIB would ensure that this country produces enough sugar for domestic consumption and becomes a major exporter of sugar to the region,” he said.
According to Seif, since KSL’s main ambition is to become the country’s leading sugar producer, it will not stand idle watching huge quantities of sugar being imported every year while Tanzania has more than enough capacity and resources to produce the commodity in bulk locally.
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