SECO funded United Nations Trade Cluster support to Tanzanian Trade Sector Development

​A new project on improving Tanzanian livelihoods through Tourism, financed by the Government of Switzerland, was officially launched today at the Kibo Palace Hotel in Arusha. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Mr. Uledi Mussa, the Swiss Ambassador to Tanzania H.E. Mr. Olivier Chave, UNCTAD Secretary General Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO representative Mr. Patrick Laederach, the Global Coordinator for the United Nations Inter-Agency Cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity Ms. Manuela Tortora, UNOPS Director Mr. Adam Bouloukos, and other key project stakeholders were present at the launching ceremony.

The project launch provided the opportunity for project stakeholders to share ideas on how the project will be implemented as well as to meet local partners through field visits, thereby building understanding and relations ahead of project implementation. The launch also provided a platform for public relations to promote key project messages relating to responsible tourism, trade and increased horticultural productive capacity.

The project, entitled "Market Value Chains relating to Horticultural Products for Responsible Tourism Market Access", is financed through a Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO Trust Fund, an Aid for Trade bi-lateral programme funded by Government of Switzerland and targeted to specific countries chosen by the donor. The SECO Trust Fund programme in Tanzania will be implemented by the United Nations Inter-Agency Cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity (currently the International Labour Organization, the International Trade Centre, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Organization on Industrial Development) and national counterparts. The total funding to be allocated by SECO to Least Developed Countries through this Trust Fund mechanism amounts to US$18.5 million.  Tanzania is the second country project funded by SECO – after Lao PDR - to be implemented through the same modalities. The three-year programme in Tanzania amounts to approximately US$ 3.5 million. The Project will be part of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s ‘Trade Sector Development Programme’ and will focus on improving Tanzanian livelihoods through Tourism as the entry point sector. This will involve improving linkages between horticulture and organic producers and the hotel industry as well as broader tourism sector market access issues.

The project has close linkages with the Government of Tanzania’s Trade Sector Development Programme and will result in an increase of productive capacity in horticulture producers and also in the supply of high value agro-products that include organic produce. As part of this, the project will facilitate lasting linkages between suppliers and Hotels with the scope to include international exports. The project will also result in an increase in the quantity and quality of local tourism trainers that can adequately respond to the demands of the industry. Financial security of the national tourism training colleges will also be enhanced. Finally, the project will result in strengthened public private dialogue mechanisms to regularly respond to issues pertaining to Responsible Tourism in Tanzania, particularly when it comes to enabling Tanzania to benefit more from the indirect export potential of the tourism industry. The project will be led in-country by the International Cluster Coordinator based in Dar-es-Salaam, working closely with the lead National counterpart, the Ministry of Industry and Trade.