Belgium Group to Invest in Education Sector

BY ORTON KIISHWEKO, 26 MAY 2014

BELGIUM'S largest construction group, BESIX has said it intends to invest in Tanzania's social services, especially in education.

The investment decision was reached at a meeting with a delegation from the Tanzania Railway Limited, Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and the Ambassador to Belgium and Mission to the European Union (EU), Dr Diodorus Kamala in Brussels on Sunday.

Ambassador Kamala said in a statement to the 'Daily News' that the group's management met the delegation from Tanzania in Luxemburg.

He said that among other issues discussed, the management of BESIX group have agreed to invest in various social services in the country through the BESIX Foundation. BESIX is the largest Belgian construction group, founded in 1909 and it generated 2.13 billion Euros in revenues last year.

It has about 19,000 employees active in 17 countries on 4 different continents. Currently BESIX together with other companies has completed the construction of the Burj Khalifa. Besix is also involved in the construction of Yas Island, a residential complex in Abu Dhabi.

Tanzania's delegation is in Belgium for a series of meetings related to development partnership. It would also visit Europe's major food ports with the view to explore the possibilities of exporting perishable goods by maritime transport to European markets.

The Belgium Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO), ALSTOM, CMI, Port of Zeebrugge, AWEX and BEMOBEX SNCB Holdings have co-organised the visit.

According to Ambassador Kamala, Port of Zeebrugge, a major European Food Port on the North Sea, which has agreed to share lessons about the concept of food port and to jointly assess ways of future cooperation between the port of Zeebrugge and Tanzanian Ports.

They would also meet the Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency (AWEX) and other groups in the trans- port and logistics industry mainly involved in the rail- way industry (BEMOBEX, ALSOM and CMI) to highlight investments opportunities in Tanzania.

They would also meet European Financing Partners. Dr Kamala said he would also brief Belgian stakeholders on their status report, ongoing programmes and future plans, which potential investors or financiers would be encouraged to look at.

The Tanzanian delegation would also visit ALSTOM, Group Delanoit and Group CMI who are the global lead- er in transport.

"The objectives of the meeting are fourfold, firstly, to learn lessons from port of Zeebrugge about the concept of 'Food Port' and understand the potential benefits that may trickle down to other sectors," he said.