Mbeya Region and the wider Southern Highlands have significant potential to increase their contribution to Tanzania’s economy by raising production, expanding value addition and attracting more investment in industries, Finance Minister Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar has said.
Ambassador Omar made the remarks during a visit to the CCM regional offices in Mbeya City as part of his one-day working tour of the region.
He said the Southern Highlands cover about 20 per cent of Tanzania’s land area, but their contribution to the national economy has yet to match the scale of their natural and productive potential.
The minister said the region could significantly increase its economic contribution through higher productivity in agriculture, mining, manufacturing and other productive sectors.
“We still have a major opportunity to increase our contribution to the national economy so that it reflects the area we have, and this is not because we lack opportunities,” Ambassador Omar said.
Ambassador Omar said value addition should be at the centre of efforts to unlock the region’s economic potential, particularly in agriculture.
He said Tanzania should reduce its reliance on exporting raw agricultural products and instead expand processing and manufacturing within the country.
“Our emphasis should be on the value chain. We can cultivate, harvest and sell our crops, but we need to capture a larger share of the value chain by ensuring processing takes place here in Tanzania,” he said.
He said expanding agro-processing would help create jobs, raise household incomes, increase government revenues and improve the competitiveness of Tanzanian products in domestic, regional and international markets.
For Mbeya, the strategy could provide opportunities to transform the region’s strong agricultural base into a broader industrial economy through investment in processing plants and related businesses.
On mining, Ambassador Omar called for stronger environmental safeguards and improved health and safety standards for miners and communities living around mining areas.
He said the economic benefits generated by mining should be accompanied by responsible mining practices that protect both people and the environment.
Addressing electricity challenges in Chunya District, he said the government would continue working to improve power infrastructure to support more efficient gold production.
Reliable electricity, he said, would help miners increase productivity while supporting other economic activities and expanding the benefits accruing to local communities and the government.
Mbeya Urban MP Patrick Mwalunenge said the region has considerable potential to raise its contribution to the national economy through agriculture, manufacturing and trade.
He pointed to commercial crops such as tea, coffee and cocoa as areas where greater investment in processing could create additional economic value.
Mwalunenge called for stronger trade and industrial infrastructure, including dry ports and industrial parks, to position Mbeya as a major commercial and production hub for the Southern Highlands and neighbouring countries.
“I urge the government to strengthen trade and industrial infrastructure, including dry ports and industrial parks, to make Mbeya a commercial and production hub for the Southern Highlands and neighbouring countries,” he said.
He said Mbeya’s strategic location, combined with its agricultural production, creates an opportunity to link farmers and producers with processing industries and regional markets.
Lupa-Chunya MP Masache Kasaka said improved infrastructure, access to financing and timely completion of development projects would be critical to unlocking the district’s economic potential.
He said Chunya contributes significantly to the national economy through gold and tobacco production and has emerged as an important centre for small-scale gold mining.
According to Kasaka, small-scale miners in Chunya produce an average of 400 kilogrammes of gold a month, with better electricity supply expected to help increase production and support other economic activities.
He also highlighted the district’s tobacco production potential, noting that the crop remains an important source of income despite being cultivated on a relatively small area compared with some other regions.
“If electricity, water and road infrastructure are improved, and ongoing development projects are completed, residents will be better positioned to fully utilise the opportunities available in productive sectors,” Kasaka said.
The remarks highlight the growing push to transform Mbeya and the wider Southern Highlands from major producers of raw materials into integrated centres for production, processing and trade.
Such a shift could enable the region to retain more value from its resources, create more employment and strengthen its contribution to Tanzania’s broader economic growth.
