Tanzanian Presidential Candidate Promises Economic Reform in Zanzibar

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Before thousands of Zanzibaris at Kibanda Maiti grounds in Unguja, Hussein Ali Mwinyi, the Zanzibar ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi’s presidential candidate, kicked off his election campaign Saturday with a pledge to carry out economic reform and provide ongoing support for the union between the semiautonomous island of Zanzibar and the Tanzanian mainland at a campaign rally. The campaign was launched following the nominations of 17 presidential candidates by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission.

Aspects of the economic reform include increasing the scope of revenue collection and jobs in the Isles. Mwinyi also plans to stimulate economic growth via an increase in the annual number of tourists from 500,000 to 850,000. He also promised to build a small port as a step toward reinforcing the fishing industry as well as facilitating access to employment for Zanzibaris through gas and oil investments with the added potential for productive deals in the sector.

Mwinyi also seeks to construct modern ports at Maruhubi and implement the construction of roads and airports as measures to stimulate economic growth. An extra push will be for the construction of factories in Unguja and Pemba whose production activities will employ locally sourced raw materials and create numerous job openings for the youth on the Isles.