Washington — PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has underscored the need for African countries to undertake interventions that unlock opportunities and facilitate inclusion in the process of pursuing sound economic growth.
Making an intervention during the US-Africa Leaders Summit on Wednesday, President Kikwete said it was evident now more than ever before that economic growth was no longer a function of statistics but rather how growth affected people's lives and welfare.
Speaking on "Delivering tangible benefits to citizens and creating space for Civil Society", Mr Kikwete said, in other words, growth was about people and not statistics and therefore they (people) must be part of the growth and see it in what they do.
To achieve that, the president pointed out that a set of interventions was necessary in a number of areas including ensuring sound economic policies which are stable but also must stabilize the economy.
He reported that Tanzania had pursued such policies for the past two decades and had started to pay off and for about a decade, growth has been pegged at 7 per cent, inflation going down below double digit and interest rates remaining stable.
"This has facilitated growth in business and increased investments which have boosted government revenue and capacity to deliver tangible benefits to its people," he observed.
Mr Kikwete mentioned the ongoing construction of 11,154 kilometres of paved roads, increase in electricity connections, especially in rural areas, from 10 per cent to 30 per cent, building of health facilities within five kilometres and sending every child to school within a ward as some of the positive results of the policy measures.
Other areas that need intervention, according to the president, include anchoring private sector as an engine for growth, investing in education and training, improving access to electricity, investing in infrastructure, promoting agriculture and manufacturing, developing ICT, entrenching democracy and good governance and rule of law.
Opening the Summit earlier, US President Barack Obama, challenged African leaders to take concrete steps to build on continent's progress and forge the partnerships of equals that America and Africa were seeking. "We must take tangible steps to deliver more prosperity, more security, and more justice to our citizens.
He asked the leaders to use the forum to focus on how they could continue to strengthen Africa's capacity to meet transitional and transnational threats, and therefore make all their nations more secure.
"So we come together this week because, even as the continent faces significant challenges, as I said last night, I believe a new Africa is emerging. With some of the world's fastest-growing economies, a growing middle class, and the youngest and fastest-growing population on Earth, Africa will help shape the world as never before," he said.
Moreover, he said, Africa's progress was being led by Africans and that gains in development, increasing agricultural production, declining rates in infectious diseases were being driven by African plans.
"More governments are embracing economic reforms and attracting record levels of investment. Likewise, African security forces and African peacekeepers are risking their lives to meet regional threats. A new generation of young Africans is making its voice heard," the US leader also observed.
Mr Obama said Africa's rise meant opportunity for everyone... including the opportunity to transform the relationship between the United States and Africa.
"As I said in Cape Town last year, it's time for a new model of partnership between America and Africa ... a partnership of equals that focuses on African capacity to solve problems, and on Africa's capacity to grow," he remarked.
President Obama noted that the Summit provided an opportunity for the leaders to focus on three broad areas where US and Africa could make progress together which are expanding trade that creates jobs, strengthening governance upon which economic growth and free societies depended and deepening security cooperation against common threats.
He pointed out that the new trade deals and investments he announced on Tuesday were an important step expansion of trade that would facilitate efforts to solve unemployment.
"And today we can focus on what we can do, as governments, to accelerate that investment ... economic and regulatory reforms, regional integration, and development so that growth is broad-based, especially among women, who must be empowered for economies to truly flourish," Mr Obama said.
The American president said that the leaders can also focus on the ingredients of progress -- rule of law, open government, accountable and transparent institutions, strong civil societies, and respect for the universal human rights of all people. The Summit, which brought together about 50 African Heads of State and Governments, ended on Thursday.
No comments:
Post a Comment