GENERAL ECONOMIC REVIEW | PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT AND CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES|
SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUE | DEVELOPMENTS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY

Private Sector Development
Cross - Cutting Issues
Progress in the Implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy
Acronomys and Abbreviations

Introduction

132.            In recent years, various national and international efforts have been made to address special issues that cut across sectors, in particular, good governance, environment, gender, and HIV/AIDS. All sectors are responsible to take measures and address those issues during the preparation and implementation of policies, strategies and programmes.

Good Governance

133.            During 2002, the government in collaboration with other stakeholders continued to review strategies and the structures for good governance in order to improve government performance that will contribute towards sustaining economic growth and fostering development. In order to achieve this objective the government continued to restructure various government institutions under civil service, financial management, legal and local government reform programmes.

134.            Achievements made in the implementation of restructuring programme include: the establishment and launching of the client service charter for 15 Ministries, Departments and Agencies; improved management of government revenue and expenditure; the Human Rights and Good Governance Commission began working in March 2002; improvement of the Judiciary Training Institute in  Lushoto; 70 district councils starting implementation of the local government reform program; strengthening of the functioning of Ethics Commission; and increased awareness in various ministries, and departments on the anti-corruption strategy and undertook appropriate measures to implement it.

135.          Other achievements registered in the legal sector include: increased number of sittings for Court of Appeal from 5 in 2001 to 7 in 2002; increased number of High Court sittings from 33 in 2001 to 59 in 2001; establishment of the Land Court, and increased case hearings and judgements at the Commercial Court from 227 in 2001 to 234 in 2002.

Gender

136.            In 2002, the Population and Housing Census, revealed that women are 17,156,906 or 51.1 percent of the total population of 33,584,607 for Tanzania Mainland. In the 1988 Population Census women were 11,521,111 or 51.1 percent of the total population of 22,533,758.

137.            During 2002, the government completed the establishment of gender focal points in public institutions to address gender concerns. In addition, in the efforts to promote gender equality in the country, the government assessed the number of women in comparison to that of men in leadership positions in the ministries, regions and districts and provided training in various skills to women at different levels in order to address the gender gaps.

138.             In 2002, women continued to be empowered by being provided with investment credits through the Women Development Fund.  Each district council was provided with sh. 4.0 million for the purpose of accessing credits to women.  A non-government organization Crew Tanzania also made available and issued 524 loans worth sh. 278.8 million to Dar es Salaam region and 433 loans worth shs. 113.7 million to Tanga region.

139.            The Tanzania Women Training Fund sponsored training for 76 women, out of them 19 were trained in legal matters and 57 in trade issues.  The Civil Service Women Training Fund sponsored 17 women for various Masters Courses, 8 for Diploma, 26 for certificate, 33 for leadership courses, and 113 women for various workshops and symposia.  Out of 87 people appointed in public leadership positions at different levels 17 or 19.5 percent were women; out of 370 top civil servants officials promoted, 61 or 16.5 percent were women, and out of 238 public servants confirmed 36 or 15.1 percent were women; and out of 105 recruited/ promoted in the middle level positions, 65 or 53.3 percent were women.

Environment

140.            During 2002, the government in collaboration with private sector, non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders sensitized and raised public awareness on policies and issues of conservation and management of environment in the country.  This step enabled the public to access knowledge and information on environment conservation and cleanliness through radios and T.V. programs, newspapers, seminars, workshops, training and by using modern high techn means of of communication such as national website and other website and e-mail.  In connection with raising awareness of the National Environment Policy of 1998, by December 2002 more than 83 districts of Tanzania Mainland had been visited by senior government officials with the aim of educating and raising awareness on the new environment policy and its strategies of implementation at the local government level.

141.            Tanzania prepared a report on the of implementation of “Agenda 21” on national sustainable development and was submitted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development held on September 2002 in Johannesburg South Africa.  Plans and strategies to implement the resolutions of this conference are under preparation.

142.                 In 2002, implementation period of phase one of the two special national programes concerning environment conservation and management of Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika ended.  Among the achievements of these programes is the completion of the draft Environment Protection Protocol for these lakes. In addition, the plans for sustainable conservation and management of Lake Victoria and Tanganyika was prepared by all countries bordering these lakes and implementation has started.  Also, plans for proper land use were prepared, 82.7 million trees were planted in the country, and 10 million weed killing insects were produced and planted into Lake Victoria.

143.            The National Environment Management Council (NEMC) had satisfactory achievements in its efforts to provide environment education to various stakeholders, to promote researches, and to undertake environment management inspections in industries and various areas as well as to supervise special environment conservation and management programmes.  On the side of coastal areas environment conservation, during 2002, the Council completed and inaugurated the National Environment Conservation and Management Strategy for the Indian Ocean coast (covering 800 km from Tanga to Mtwara) which, aims at ensuring collective environment management for sectoral sustainable development and the conservation and development of coastal ecology.  Efforts were also focused on the advisory services related to environmental conservation and management to different stakeholders particularly in the sectors of agriculture, industries, lands and settlements, minerals, energy, and to some urban councils and municipals where by environment conservation and management plans were prepared and implemented in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro, Dodoma, Mbeya, Tanga and Iringa.

144.            Campaign to educate and sensitize factory owners on the use of appropriate technology which reduce/control the production of industrial waste and ensure sustainable industrial development continued in 11 industries and 3 institutions.  System for collection of environmental statistics was also developed in order to evaluate the achievements on waste reduction/control in the urban areas.  Eight Tanzanias were given special training in Zimbabwe on environmental friendly production techniques.  Four local institutions were identified by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to conduct such training in the country.

HIV/AIDS

145.            HIV/AIDS is a big challenge to our nation. For example statistics from women attending ante natal clinic showed an increase in prevalence of HIV infection from 7.2 percent in 1990 to 13.3 percent in 2000.  During 2002, the government continued with the implementation of the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), involving all sectors.  This programme is implemented at national, regional and district levels and for the purpose of reducing the rate of infections, priority is given to the following areas:-  medical care and training for HIV/AIDS patients; counseling and voluntary blood test; blood safety; diagnozing and treating sexually transmitted diseases; monitoring of HIV/AIDS patients, providing HIV/AIDS health education, conducting research on HIV/AIDS; as well as preventing mother to child HIV/AIDS transmission.  Also, the guideline for sectoral participation at different levels was prepared and submitted to Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS), an organ responsible for coordinating AIDS/HIV activities in the country for distribution.  The Commission prepared a medium term strategy (2003/2007) for the implementation of the National AIDS Control Policy.

146.            Since the inception of National AIDS Control Programme, the following measures have been taken: training of trainers on the care of HIV/AIDS patients at home in 28 districts; follow up on counseling and volunteer of blood testing for HIV; preparation of plans for all sectors and districts organize competition through radios, newspapers, televisions and other modes of transmitting news, education and communication based on yearly theme on the campaign against HIV/AIDS; purchasing of equipments and reagents for blood screening for 180 hospitals as well as equipping referral hospitals to be able to monitor and evaluate the HIV/AIDS trend.

147.            In addition, during the same period, other activities undertaken related to preparation and dissemination of 16 reports on the situation of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases; preparation of guidelines for monitoring HIV/AIDs control activities;  distributing medicines to control sexually transmitted disease to 14 regions; 500 employees were given refresher course on sexually transmitted diseases; a training manual on HIV/AIDS, for all public health training colleges and health institutions was prepared; various researches were conducted on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases; preparation of a programme to provide services and medicines to people living with HIV/AIDS; preparation of treatment guidelines for health service providers serving people living with HIV/AIDS.  Sensitization at all levels of students, the public in general and leaders on changing risky behavior and practices; provision of services to prevent mother to child transmission during pregnancy, delivery and lactation; promotion and distribution on the use of female and male condoms, as one of the effective ways to prevent infections of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in all regions in the country.

148.            Tables 8.1 – 8.2 show the number of people infected with HIV/AID and the rate of increase of those infected during the past 19 years, from 1983 – 2001.  The numbers of people shown by region in 2001 are estimates based on 1988 census statistics.  The actual number of those infected with HIV/AIDS in the country is bigger than the reported cases. According to the NACP statistics, it is estimated that for every reported case there are five other infected people. Despite of these deficiencies, available information shows that there is no improvement in the situation. According to 2001 report, the most affected regions are Mbeya followed by Dar es Salaam and Ruvuma.  The least affected region is Kigoma.  In contrast to the number of those affected with HIV/AIDS reported by each region, regions having large number of discovered cases are Kagera (22 percent), Dar es Salaam (18.8 percent), Iringa (18.7 percent) and Arusha (17.8 percent).