BY CORRESPONDENT DAVID
15th January 2014
“The government will continue to implement various economic programmes through the Planning Commission to ensure economic growth, poverty reduction, promotion of social services, good governance and national unity,” said President of Zanzibar Dr Ali Mohamed Shein.
He was speaking during celebrations to mark 50 years of the Zanzibar Revolution held at Amaan stadium.
He said the per capita income has gone above the target of 884,000/- given in the CCM election manifesto for the 2010/2015 period.
He said the great achievements can be traced back to the Zanzibar revolution of January 12, 1964.
He said after it the first Economic Planning Commission was formed in 1970 to promote economic development.
He mentioned some of the plans as the Vision 2020 for Development which was launched in 2000, the Poverty Reduction Plan of 2002 to 2005, the Plan for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction (MKUZA 1) of 2007/2010 and MKUZA 2 of 2010/2015.
However, he said for the past 50 years they managed to control the inflation rate. He said it has now reached 5.0 per cent compared to 9.4 per cent in 2012.
Dr Shein noted that the policy of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has already been prepared and a special implementation programme has started.
Under it 1,738 SMEs and 257 groups in Unguja and Pemba have been given loans amounting to 2,344.7m/-.
Further, in order to ensure that clove farmers benefit from the crop, the government controls the clove trade through the Zanzibar State Trading Corporation (ZSTC), he said.
Through the ZSTC farmers are paid 80 per cent of the 14,000/- market price per kilogramme.
Dr Shein said the government strives to promote the clove industry and some remarkable steps have been taken to improve clove cultivation.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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