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· The Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) disseminated among its members the facilities to obtain low-interest loans for value-addition projects in agricultural and forest products. The program has EUR 147 million in loans provided by the European Union (EU). The implementation of the plan is divided into three main areas viz. the first part has been allocated EUR 50 million and focuses on capacity building of farmers to enable value addition in agricultural and forest products. The second part has also been allocated EUR 50 million for investments. The third phase will have Euro 47 million to
expend.
· Tanzania’s travel receipts declined by 59.2% in the year ending December 2020, according to The Bank of Tanzania (BOT) Monthly Economic Review, January 2021. The revenues from tourism activities reached US$ 1,061.6 million against US$ 2,604.5 million in 2019. The dramatic fall is explained by the measures taken by most countries to limit the spread of COVID-19. Measures such as lockdown and suspension of international passenger flights were the main factors that led to the drop in tourism revenue. The number of international tourist arrivals declined to 616,491 from 1,527,230 visitors recorded in the year ending December 2019. While tourism is Tanzania’s primary foreign exchange earner, travelers who visit the country are mainly from Europe, followed by Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East.
Tanzania has improved its score in containing corruption by moving up by seven spots. The Transparency International, the global coalition against corruption, which released its 2020 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has ranked Tanzania as 94th over 180 countries, with an overall rating of 38/100. Countries like Ethiopia, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Peru, Serbia, Sri Lanka, and Suriname also received the same ranking. Tanzania was also included among the Significant Improvers in CPI, moving up 7 positions since 2014. Rwanda ranked 49th with a score of 54 was the top in East Africa. Tanzania did better than all other countries of the regions. Kenya ranked 124th with a score of 31, Uganda ranked 142th with a score of 27, Burundi ranked 165th with a score of 19, and South Sudan ranked 179th with a score of just 12.
