Economic Growth through Local Partnerships: Growth Tanzania and Malawi
President Magufuli the man who transformed Tanzania from a 3rd world to a middle-income country is now offering a hand of friendship and economic empowerment to neighboring Malawi. Malawi has been underdeveloped relative to all its neighbors dating back to the colonial times when the British colonialist developed Southern Rhodesia at the expense of Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia during the period of the Federation.
Key to economic growth is regional cooperation not foreign investment
Malawi has also been riddled with the small, minded leadership of Kamuzu Banda and his successors in the post-colonial era. There is great hope under the leadership of Lazarus Chakwera that economic development which has alluded Malawi for so long will finally be realized. There is a lot of faith and hope in this new administration. They have much to learn from President of Tanzania Dr Magufuli who has rightly told Chakwera not to wait for foreign investors. Many Africans have been brainwashed to believe that salvation or economic growth will come from foreign investors.
Building Economic Partnerships Tanzania and Malawi
Trade between Tanzania and Malawi increased from $60 million USD in 2015 to $80 million USD in 2019. That is a huge increase in economic cooperation. This expansion can benefit both countries and grow their economies tremendously. The goal is to create wealth and create better standards of living for the citizens of both countries.
Tanzania is going to provide better access to the port of Dar es Salaam and Port Mtwara in the South for Malawian goods. Transportation routes are a major problem for landlocked countries like Malawi. Tanzania’s ministry of Works and Transport as well as Tanzania Revenue Authority are going to open offices in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe for the purposes of cementing the agreement and make commerce more efficient.
Tanzania role model for trade and industry growth
Tanzania is also sharing best practices with Malawi on collecting revenue from exports in the mining sector. Most foreign entities do not pay taxes and the only real benefit they bring are low wage jobs. Job do not create wealth they simply enable citizens to survive. What Africans need in the 21st century is business ownership and exports so that the citizens can thrive. When citizens thrive, they employ other Africans and pay taxes which helps to improve the infrastructure.
Dr Magufuli embarked on a path to bring Tanzania into the 21st century. He did this by earning a reputation of getting the job done while he was Minister of Public Works. He set the bar high for his ministry and was branded the bulldozer. His results-oriented approach to work and his value good governance and respect of law made him popular. President Magufuli is the democratically elected President of Tanzania. He has the admiration of millions of Africans have seen the power of a results driven leader. A leader who empowers his people and creates positive results for the people of his country. A lot of Magufuli’s success comes from the strategy of favoring manufacturing and agriculture over tourism and directing the government resources there.
