Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has announced that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has assured the Government of Tanzania, led by President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, of its continued collaboration in implementing various development projects benefiting Tanzanian citizens.
This assurance follows the government’s strong track record of effectively managing development funds provided by various partners, including JICA. The Prime Minister stated, "The government will continue to ensure that all development funds brought into the country are properly managed and used for their intended purposes."
He made these remarks on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, during a meeting with JICA Vice President Miyazaki Katsura at the Tachibana Conference Room in the New Otani Hotel, Tokyo, while on an official working visit to Japan.
The Prime Minister also called on JICA to seek more development partners to mobilize funding for the implementation of additional development projects, enabling Tanzanians to actively participate in economic activities.
He emphasized that the aim is to facilitate access to funding to realize President Samia’s economic goals, which include opening economic opportunities and increasing citizen participation in income-generating development initiatives.
“We want to empower people to engage in economic activities those entering into business, agriculture, mining, fishing, and livestock. These are priority sectors for us,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that the government aims to create a conducive environment for citizens to engage in commercial activities, alongside emphasizing development in education, healthcare, infrastructure, energy, road construction, and agriculture.
On his part, JICA Vice President Miyazaki Katsura said the agency continues to work closely with partners like the World Bank to implement various projects in Tanzania, including the Food Resilience Project.
He reiterated JICA’s commitment to partnering with the Tanzanian government in projects aimed at improving infrastructure and transportation.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Agriculture David Silinde thanked JICA, the World Bank (WB), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) for their concessional loans totaling over USD 516 million for various agricultural projects.
He listed the Tanzania Food Systems Resilience Program (TSRP) as one of the key projects, costing over USD 371 million of which the World Bank is providing USD 300.05 million and JICA USD 71.09 million. The project will run from 2025 to 2030.
Another project, the Tanzania Agricultural Inputs Support Project (TAISP), is a collaboration between AfDB and JICA that provides subsidies for agricultural inputs.
This project is expected to cost USD 145 million, with JICA contributing USD 70 million and AfDB USD 75.49 million.
Implementation began in 2024 and will end in 2028. Already, USD 40 million has been paid to 17 companies for fertilizer distribution.
Minister Silinde noted that these funds were granted following satisfaction with the Tanzanian government's effective management of the agriculture sector.
He urged Japanese investors and businesses to invest in irrigation agriculture, particularly irrigation technology.
Zanzibar’s Minister of State, President’s Office (State House), Ali Mohamed Ameir, assured Japanese investors of a peaceful and supportive business environment in Zanzibar.
He also requested JICA’s support in completing two infrastructure projects: the expansion of the fish market and kitchen in Malindi, and an urban water distribution project in the Mjini Magharibi Region both currently in their second phase.
Tanzania Investment Center (TIC) Executive Director Gilead Teri expressed gratitude to the Japanese government through JICA for funding two investment advisors one Japanese and one Tanzanian who will act as liaisons between investors and business stakeholders from both countries.
“The Japanese advisor will engage with companies and investors from Japan, helping them access investment information for Tanzania, while the Tanzanian advisor will assist Tanzanians looking to export products to Japan through TIC,” he explained.
Earlier, Khamis Dunia, Promotion and Marketing Manager for the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA), said Tanzania’s participation in the World Expo Osaka 2025 has helped promote Zanzibar’s trade and investment opportunities.
He added that in addition to the expo, high-level meetings involving the Prime Minister and top Japanese investors provided ZIPA the opportunity to highlight key investment areas such as the blue economy and tourism sectors that have already attracted serious interest from potential Japanese investors.