REGIONAL authorities in Tanga are organising an investment event aimed at revitalising the citrus value chain.
Dr. Batilda Buriani, the regional commissioner, said at an Information Services news event here yesterday that large scale spoilage of oranges in the region has prompted the regional leadership to seek a viable way out.
Inserting this effort as part of a briefing on government achievements in the region for the past four years, she said that a high level investment consultation meeting, abbreviated as a summit, was being set up in collaboration with the investment special economic zones authority as well as the Industry and Trade ministry.
“This season, we’ve seen a bumper harvest of oranges, but prices have dropped sharply,” she said, stressing that the level of produce loss is alarming.
“We’re starting with this crop to attract serious investors who can add value and reduce waste,” she said, echoing perennial concerns on the issue.
Currently, a small factory processes orange peels in the region but it has struggled due to insufficient investment, she said, underlining that the regional authorities are looking at the entire orange value chain — from peel to juice.
‘Everything has value,” she stated, quipping that “in the orange business, we say it’s sweet from start to finish.”
She expressed confidence that by the year’s end the regional authorities will have made tangible progress on the issue, highlighting that the region set out to collect 47.2bn/- revenues in the last financial year and managed to reach 44.68bn/-, about 95percent of the target.
The shortfall was mainly due to tax disputes involving cement factories, she said, citing levies imposed on the factories that are now under arbitration as a contentious issue
“Once resolved, the withheld revenue will help us close the gap,” she stated, pointing at the outstanding amount as closing on 2bn/- , with the city council having collected 18bn/- against a target of 21bn/-.
Tanga Region has received 3.09trn/- to implement a range of development projects during the past four years, she added.
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