SLIGHTLY over two months after assuming office, President John Joseph Pombe Magufuli has shown great promise to most Tanzanians as a leader who will deliver them into higher levels of development that will embrace, in his stride, improved road and air transport industry.
His lean government already in place appears to include competent men in various fields who will be guided by public interests rather than private ones as reflected by some officials in preceding administrations. This is one of the factors that I will address in the course of this perspective.
Talking of competent persons, he has academically and professionally qualified men and women at the helm of most ministries, the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications being one of them.
We see veteran minister, Prof Makame Mbarawa at the head of the ministry with Engineer Dr Leonard Chamriho as Principal Secretary.
But what is more promising for the future of this country in terms of development is the seriousness in financial discipline shown by the president that may make this country less dependant on foreign aid, especially where the national budget is concerned.But as indicated at the outset of this perspective, strategic areas that would be key to overall economic development will be when road and air travel is elevated to higher levels to meet both domestic and international requirements and standards.
This country, which is larger than Britain and Germany put together in terms of landmass, needs a two-pronged approach to maximise economic development – which is air and land transport. At the moment, road transport is predominant -- with railways and air transport crucial on their own -- assuming second fiddle.
This leaves a lot to be desired in terms of faster and safer movement of people and goods. But it leaves a lot to be desired because this country is by far most attractive in terms of global tourism. This is a critically important factor in terms of the national economy because tourism alone would make a lot of a difference in making money for the country.
A balanced transport network both on the land and in the air would therefore make great difference -- offering our people alternative means of transport for their own good -- and the good of the national economy on a higher plane in the event visitors and tourists at different points on the globe find it easier to visit Tanzania.
So what will make it easier for people elsewhere in the world to visit Tanzania, the Land of the Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain? Of course air travel! We in Tanzania have one national airline – Air Tanzania.
It has been there since the old good days of the Founder President of this country, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, about half a century ago. But how is this airline fairing? This question is the focus of this perspective.
Regionally, in terms of the East African region, this airline is not competitive. Actually, for nationals of this country, it is very depressing to see it at a lower level, actually relegated to a “feeder road” status!
Even where we see seemingly privately owned airlines coming up locally, it is quite another thing, isn’t it, to have a national flag carrier that is not strong enough to move internationally! An Air Tanzania that could be caught by travellers in Dubai or London would make a hell of a difference, isn’t it?
How does one go about to counter business ploys by much stronger airlines in East Africa, which allegedly ferry tourists or visitors from Europe and elsewhere claiming that it is in their respective countries that the Kilimanjaro Mountain is located or can be reached? As enticed, Tanzania is unique in Africa because it is the home of the globe’s most concentrated wildlife.
Certainly, this country is one of the most attractive tourist destinations anywhere, isn’t it? Unfortunately, a lot remains to be desired as to the viability of this national flag carrier.
The airline today counts only a couple of planes, which are hardly in the skies locally due to technical constraints. But in the intervening period, before we went to the polls last year, the good news was that the sole owner of the airline, the government, had indicated its intention to pay up debts of the flag carrier.
More encouraging was also the news that a number of Tanzanian public firms had offered to recapitalise Air Tanzania by having shares in the running of the national airline.
Those public firms that had offered to re-capitalize Air Tanzania were the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Ngorongoro Conservation, the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), the Tanzania Port Authority (TPA), and the Tanzania Investment Bank. Hearing this news, I was very happy and most relieved. First, who said that government owned firms were “hopeless” -- only destined to be privatized at the end of the day?
Those reading these lines may remember the pressure brought to bear on this country by external lending agencies to move to privatize government owned or public firms slightly more than two decades ago. Where is this country today?
Are we better off in terms of industries and factories, in terms of jobs for our people as we were during the socialist administration of the founder president of this country, Mwalimu Nyerere?
The firms mentioned above who have offered to recapitalize Air Tanzania are all public firms and one sees no privately owned firm that came along to become a shareholder in Air Tanzania! To me, this serves to underpin the point that all is not gloomy in public firms as one sees the airlines of the big boys of this world such as PanAm, Air France or British Airways.
In so far as the viability of Air Tanzania is concerned, which is operated by a public firm that has become known as Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), there is great need for all entrusted to run it, from ministry officials and others in the decision making radar to ensure that no one wears a public face while in effect, espousing private interests.
For, whispers had abounded that in the last Administration before the emergence of the Magufuli Administration that some officials at the Ministry of Transport had actually favoured privately-owned local airlines and even pushed for state funding for them as if Air Tanzania did not exist!
Now that we have public firms that reportedly offered to recapitalise Air Tanzania last year, it should be opportune now to invite external investors to partner with the national airline in a strategic move for the airline’s global reach.
Indeed, there is room for growth for a national airline in this country. If impoverished Bangladesh or neighbouring Rwanda has been able to put in place a strong air transport sector, why not Tanzania? Since this country has traditional and very good relations with Scandinavian/ Nordic countries, which before supported this national airline with its Fokker brand of planes, why can’t we ask one of these countries to be strategic investors of Air Tanzania?
Surely, one can be sure of an efficient and sustainable Air Tanzania. And this is for the good reason that Tanzania’s domestic market is yet to be fully exploited. Now than ever before, people want to move around faster and comfortably to meet their travel needs and business obligations. This is not to mention of the potentiality of an external market -- what with this country’s unique tourist attractions and rich mineral resources.
As enticed, looking at the formation of the Magufuli Administration, which has competent men at the Transport Ministry and seasoned staff at the airline offices itself headed by Engineer Johnson Mfinanga, there should be no reason why Tanzania cannot have a viable national flag carrier.
Indeed, Tanzania has the potential to make an air travel hub for East Africa -- its northern tourism circuit taken into account -- not to mention of its sea outlets – which factors should make its Air Tanzania national flag carrier as viable as those airlines in the Gulf.
/Daily News.
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