CCM presidential candidate in Zanzibar Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi has pledged to intensify his administration's support for fishermen and traders, promising significant investments to increase their incomes and improve their business environment.

Addressing a gathering at Malindi Fish Market during his campaign tour yesterday, Dr Mwinyi committed to establishing well-organized market management systems and promised to continue prioritizing the blue economy agenda which focuses on sustainable marine and trade development.

A key promise from the candidate is the expansion of government-supported financing programmes. Dr Mwinyi pledged to increase the funding beyond the 96bn/- previously disbursed, ensuring access to loans for those who were previously excluded. This move, he said, is aimed at helping entrepreneurs achieve sustainable business growth.

Furthermore, he announced plans for major infrastructure development in the fisheries and trade sectors, including construction of improved fish landing sites, fish markets, and well-equipped business areas across Unguja and Pemba as well as provision of modern fishing boats and necessary tools to enable fishermen to engage in more profitable deep-sea fishing.

Dr Mwinyi urged the public to re-elect him and CCM to ensure continuity and acceleration of these development projects.

Despite acknowledging the government's previous support, local stakeholders used the opportunity to highlight ongoing challenges at Malindi Market. Juma Mbwana, a fisherman, appreciated the new fish market but noted that many surrounding business areas still suffer from poor, old infrastructure.

Mbwana appealed directly to Dr Mwinyi to address these practical needs by: increasing access to clean water, constructing more public toilets and facilitating more business loans.

He emphasized that with properly organized markets and better infrastructure, the fisheries sector has immense potential to significantly contribute to Zanzibar's overall economy.

Dr Mohammed Said Dimwa, Deputy Secretary General of CCM in Zanzibar backed the candidate's message, stating that empowering traders with better trading spaces has been a central objective of the party's journey over the past five years. Participants generally expressed optimism that the promised support and improved facilities would enable them to expand their businesses and create more jobs for the youth.