‘’EVERY year comes with new hopes with renewed determination to pursue them.’’ That was the message from President Ali Mohamed Shein when welcoming the new year 2016.
Dr Shein, in his end of year-message, said that Zanzibar’s economic performance was good in the 2015, despite some challenges including the most recent one, disputes over elections.
Following the discovery of irregularities by the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC), opted to nullify the elections and results which had already been announced, Dr Shein reminds Zanzibaris that the nullification was published in the official government gazette, “and now we should wait for the fresh polls date to be announced.”
It appears in the Government Gazette, advert No. 130 “ZEC nullifies general elections results of October 25, 2015….as par Zanzibar Constitution section 119 (10), 3(1), and 5(a) of the law.The date for fresh elections will be announced later.” As voters wait for the fresh elections, the two main political rivals; Mr Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad from Civic United Front (CUF) and the incumbent president Dr Ali Mohamed Shein from ruling party-CCM have been engaged in indoor discussions for ‘political future of the Islands.’
According to Dr Shein, the Second vice president Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi and retired leaders: Mzee Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Dr Salmin Amour Juma, and Dr Amani Abeid Karume, would issue a communique.
“We must thank God for all the achievements recorded in the past year, attribute to peace, stability, unity, and hard work among us.
We must do the same this year (2016), as the government focuses on lives and needs of the people,” said Dr Shein.
Government’s development plans this year include the start of construction of the new sea port project at ‘Mpigaduri/Marhubi’ area site, north of the Stone town.
The construction is underway by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC) at the cost estimated to be more than $231 million, a loan from China Exim Bank.
The new seaport will definitely boost business in Zanzibar by attracting more investors who will increase job opportunities to Zanzibaris and decrease unemployment problem facing the islands.
Improving health care including provision of free X-ray, CT-scan, and Ultra Sound services, are other good news that people in Zanzibar should expect following the promise by Dr Shein last year after declaring the revival of free health services introduced by First President late Abeid Karume.
“We recorded admirable success in education in 2015 after the construction of modern buildings for the new schools. The number of graduates from higher learning institutions in the Islands and abroad has also recorded a tremendous growth,” said Dr Shein.
Looking happy President Shein continued to list successes of 2015 and the expectations for Zanzibaris this year, saying with more modern schools, the government will re-start the implementation of free education policy.
He said that free education in both primary and secondary schools aimed at improving education, as it was previously planned by the first president late Karume after the 1964 revolution, but later the free education policy faced challenges due to lack of funds.
Farmers were also happy in 2015 because of the government subsidy on farming inputs, and this year they will continue having support, after the on-going good production of cloves, which remains the leading foreign export for Zanzibar.
“Rural electrification, almost covering all the villages and small Islands has been good with a drastic increase of people now using power from the national Grid.
Increase use of electricity means a lot to the country including better performance in schools because students study at night and employment because youths and women get self-employed,” said Dr Shein.
He said the elderly and children were also happy in 2015, while the elderly will have universal pension paid starting from next April, children have two newly constructed modern entertainments centres (Kariakoo Children’s park in Unguja, and Tibirinzi- Pemba), calling upon members of the public to respect the rights of children.
Dr Shein said that all adults, regardless of their economical status and position in the society are supposed to express love to Children and protect them, instead of abusing them.
The ‘Zanzibar Social Security Fund (ZSSF)’ has been taking a big role in modernizing Zanzibar town by constructing modern houses for people to live and business, as it has started to put-up 18 seven-storey buildings, expected to change the landscape of Unguja.
“Zanzibar Investments Promotion Agency (ZIPA) also managed to woo many investors to establish ‘big projects’ in the Islands, particularly in ‘Economic Processing Zones (EPZ) at Fumba (Unguja) and Micheweni (Pemba).
“Quality Group Limited” from Dar es Salaam is to reconstruct and improve Bwawani Hotel, one of the oldest tourists’ government hotels in the stone town, allocated at Malindi-Funguni area.
The ‘Bakhressa Group of Companies’ is also developing Mtoni area by re-building ‘Mtoni Marine Hotel’, into luxurious, and recreational inn, and building ‘a new city at Fumba’ to include industrial part. “Zanzibar is not far from becoming a business hub in the East African Region.
People should now work hard this year, and many more years to come for prosperity because it is possible to change,” said Dr Shein.
Dr Shein said that with efforts to strengthen our economy by increasing investors, boosting tourism and productivity, poverty is likely to be issue of the past in the near future, should also ‘Oil and gas exploration’ be successful.
President Shein said he was confident that the isles’ economy would continue to grow, and bring more jobs and a better standard of living because of workable government policy, peace and stability.
To ensure the safety and security of visitors and people living in Zanzibar, Dr Shein appealed to everyone to be watchful and report any incident of suspiciousness to respective authorities.
/Daily News.
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