President Samia Suluhu Hassan has called for deeper economic cooperation between Tanzania and Singapore, saying the two countries have significant opportunities to expand trade, attract investment and accelerate industrial development through strategic partnerships.
Speaking at the Tanzania-Singapore Business Forum in Dar es Salaam, President Samia said Singapore’s economic success story offers valuable lessons for Tanzania, particularly in port development, technology, governance and creating a competitive business environment.
Her remarks came as Tanzania seeks to position itself as a regional trade and logistics hub and attract more foreign investment to support its industrialisation agenda.
President Samia said Tanzania’s strategic location gives it a competitive advantage as a gateway to East, Central and Southern Africa, with the ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara serving six landlocked countries in the region.
She said stronger collaboration in maritime transport, logistics and industrial development could enhance trade flows between Africa and Asia while strengthening Tanzania’s role in regional and global supply chains.
“Tanzania is strategically positioned to serve as a bridge between African and Asian markets. By working together in transport, logistics and industry, we can unlock greater economic opportunities for both countries,” she said.
The President also highlighted agriculture and agro-processing as key sectors for cooperation, noting that Tanzania has the capacity to increase exports of products such as coffee, tea, cashew nuts and spices to Singapore and other international markets.
She stressed the importance of adding value to agricultural produce and mineral resources before export, arguing that local processing would increase national revenues, create jobs and improve the competitiveness of Tanzanian products globally.
Her call comes as Tanzania intensifies efforts to attract investment into manufacturing and value addition industries as part of broader economic transformation initiatives.
Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said businesses from his country continue to view Tanzania as an attractive investment destination due to its political stability, growing economy and strategic location within East Africa.
He said the relationship between the two countries presents opportunities for long-term partnerships capable of driving industrial growth, creating employment and expanding trade.
“Tanzania offers strong prospects for investors, and Singaporean companies are increasingly interested in exploring opportunities that can contribute to sustainable economic development,” he said.
President Tharman noted that closer collaboration between the private sectors of both countries could help unlock investment opportunities in infrastructure, logistics, manufacturing and technology.
The business forum brought together government leaders, investors and business executives from Tanzania and Singapore to discuss ways of strengthening commercial relations and promoting cross-border investment.
Welcoming President Tharman to the forum, Minister of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, said the discussions marked an important step towards building a long-term economic partnership between the two nations.
He said the engagement could pave the way for major investment projects and new business ventures that would further strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties.
“The conversations taking place today are laying the foundation for deeper economic cooperation. We believe this forum can serve as the starting point for transformative projects that benefit both Tanzania and Singapore,” Prof Mkumbo said.
The forum reflects Tanzania’s growing focus on economic diplomacy and efforts to attract strategic investment partnerships that support industrialisation, job creation and sustainable economic growth.
