TANZANIA (eTN) – Tanzania’s president has formed and appointed a
new cabinet of ministers to run his five-year term government but
skipped appointing the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, a key
ministry in Tanzania’s economic development.
Announcing his newly-appointed cabinet of 19 ministers at a press
conference in the Tanzanian capital city of Dar es Salaam today,
Thursday, December 10, 2015, President Dr. John Magufuli told
journalists that he is looking for the best, most competent and
qualified person to hold the tourism ministerial portfolio.
“The minister is yet to be identified. … I am still searching for a
person to fill this post,” said the serious Tanzanian president.
The Tanzanian president has, however, appointed Mr. Ramoi Makani, a
lesser-known personality in the tourism industry, as a junior Minister
for Natural Resources and Tourism.
Mr. Makani, a new entrant in Tanzania’s politics and government
functions, will be in charge of key businesses in the tourism ministry,
and is charged with overseeing the daily activities in key areas under
the ministry including the tourism sub-sector, wildlife conservation and
protection, forestry, and the antiquities sub-sector.
During his presidential campaign in October, Dr. Magufuli promised
voters he would develop Tanzania’s tourism and vowed to fight poaching
of elephants and other wildlife species, which are the biggest
attractions for foreign and local tourists.
He promised to revive Tanzania’s ailing airline, Air Tanzania Company
Limited (ATCL), as a strategy to attract more tourists to fly to
Tanzania from other corners of the world.
Standing among key government ministries in Tanzania’s economy, the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is responsible for the daily
administration of Tanzanian's natural resources made up of wildlife and
forests, tourism, and the travel trade, while monitoring challenges
facing Tanzania’s tourist industry at this time when Tanzania’s tourism
marketing campaign is facing budgetary constraints.
When appointed, the new tourism minister will also be responsible for
overseeing daily activities affecting his ministry's departments,
including wildlife and forest resources, which members of parliament and
the Tanzanian people have complained of being looted by foreign
companies.
Poaching of elephants and rhinos is a big problem that this new
minister will be dealing with, while corruption in key wildlife
conservation departments in Tanzania seems to be a block ahead of his
daily performance.
The ministry will also be responsible for controlling key tourist
sites, including the 16 tourist national parks, the Ngorongoro
Conservation Area where the famous Ngorongoro Crater is located, game
reserves including the Selous Game Reserve, game-controlled areas, and
open wildlife habitat areas.
Tanzania, the largest country in East Africa, is focused on wildlife
conservation and sustainable tourism, with approximately 28 percent of
the total land area protected by the government for biodiversity
heritage.
Mr. Lazaro Nyalandu was the immediate former Tourism Minister before
the expiration of his term after the dissolution of the past government
under former President Jakaya Kikwete. He held the ministerial post
since January of last year at which time he took over from Mr. Khamis
Kagasheki who resigned from the post after the parliament accused his
juniors over injustice during an anti-poaching drive.
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