Tanzania’s nationalism threat to integration

Namtih58

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Oct 23, 2007
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Editorial: Tanzania’s nationalism threat to integration

August 14, 2008: Uneasy neighbours, suspicious trade partners. That captures the relationship between Tanzania on the one hand and Kenya and Uganda on the other.

The heads of the three states annually hold what is called “The Summit”, a photo session preceded by meetings between ministers and technocrats with a now familiar theme of expediting and deepening economic and political links.

Beyond the shared common umbilical chord in Lake Victoria and the imperial yolk of colonialism, however, the body language in many of these sessions has betrayed reluctance to walk the talk.

At the heart of the mistrust is a perception by Tanzania that swallowing wholesale the East African Community policies, without taking the trouble to digest, would lead to constipation in the form of death of infant industries, worsened terms of trade and other destabilising economic impacts. While that is not unique to the EAC — trade blocs face the challenge of disparities in economic status — the way it is being exploited by Tanzania to hold back the integration ideals is a cause for concern.

In May, the country denied its citizens an opportunity to invest in Safaricom during the region’s biggest initial public offering of shares. Reason? It would wreak havoc on the country’s exchange rates and capital accounts.

Over time, it has required lots of persuasion to have companies listed in Kenya or Uganda crosslist on the Dar-es-Salaam Stock Exchange to an extent that some have outrightly shied away from the idea.

That Tanzania is a tough business proposition is not restricted to the capital markets where just this week it barred Kenyans and Ugandans from buying shares in the National Microfinance Bank, citing reasons similar to those floated during the Safaricom IPO.

There is no need to emphasize that this stance is against the EAC protocol on free movement of capital.

In labour matters, Tanzania has not batted an eyelid in expelling Kenyans from its territory by withdrawing work permits, despite the existence of a regional passport and policies supporting free labour movement.

In aviation, the country even chose a no win arrangement with South African Airways that has since been revoked rather than sell Air Tanzania’s stake to Kenya Airways.

The finer details in these instances may have justified the country’s position, but read broadly they point to a trade partner who is not ready to cede any ground in the marriage called the EAC.

Even when rolling out the customs union nearly three years ago, Tanzania got a key concession where most goods from Kenya and Uganda would start entering its market after five years despite its products enjoying the common external tariff immediately.

As matters stand, Tanzania is yet to see the need to join its partners in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa by renouncing its membership to SADC — a rival trading bloc —which translates into a free trade area this weekend. That transition should force Tanzania’s hand since under the World Trade Organisation rules, one cannot belong to two preferential trading regimes.

These isolationist tendencies by Tanzania, thinly couched as protectionism, have salient lessons for economic integration in Africa.

Given that trade blocs in the continent have emerged more out of history and geographic proximity, a common shared vision is essential to drive the integration forward.

Unequal levels of development have slowly emerged as stumbling blocks to integration efforts, rather than the motivation for enlarging markets and harmonising tax and legal policies.

Since this imbalance cannot be wished away, a rigorous and clear joining criteria needs to be put in place so that only countries committed to set reforms accede to membership. It is the case with other free trade areas in America, Asia and Europe.

These procedures will gain in importance as political interests tend towards one continental trading bloc which cannot thrive if some members choose to adhere to certain policies and disregard others at will with no attendant penalties.

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Tanzania suffered its economy during the former EAC, and now we are very careful on how we step into another mess.It must take time for us to put our both feet into that so called EAC. this is in the head of every Tanzanian you ask. and Tanzanians are so very much united about this, if you don't believe it, go ask any Tanzanian you meet in streets or in offices, you will get the clear picture. We had the wound out of that former thing you know, and we don't want to make another mistake.we can be ready to expand to Saddc or any other country where we think we will benefit than to get into another mess again with Kenyans capitalism.

Right now, Tanzania is not concentrating on efforts to build EAC, we are concentrating on opening the biggest ever,iron mining centre in Mchuchuma and Liganga where billiions of tons are discovered, and coal mining industry for electricity to sell to other countries like Malawi, mozambique and zambia. we have a huge amount of coal already discovered in tz. We have already discovered oil in southern Tanzania and lake Rukwa basin, and another huge oil resource in Pemba. Hii issue ya EAC imekuwa pressurised sana na Kenyans and Ugandans, kipindi cha safaricom watu walitulia walikuwa hata hawaliongelei,lakini NMB zinavyoanza kuuzwa, watu wanaongea why not that time, why now? kwanini sasa tu wakati watz wanauza hisa, mbona kipindi kenya wanauza safaricom wakenya walitulia kimya? this is vita vya chini vinavyoendelea ndani ya mioyo ya wakenya na watz.

So, please, East African countries, just wait for us to build ourselves first, tujiweke sawa kwenye sheria zetu to protect our people from risks that may come out of the interractions, and when we are done with that, tis when we can start EAC. kwasasa haiwezekani, kwasababu hakuna umoja kati ya watanzania na wakenya. watanzania wanaona bora waungane na waganda,rwanda na burundi kuliko wakenya. what is happening in NMB IPO share sale, ni vita vya chinichini tu kama vile tu vilivyotokea wakati wa safaricom. tusipoteze muda kwenye vitu ambavyo tunajua haviko moyoni, i would advice kwamba tuendelee na business zingine, hii itakuja baadae. this is my opinion. asante.
 
Ndio mwana wa mungu hii EAC unity inatakiwa ije taratibu kwa kupitia mahusiano ya kibiashara kwanza sio kwa ratiba fulani zinazopangwa na wanasiasa wakati hakuna ushirikiano wa maana at ground level.
 
EAC members walikubaliana kuweka viwango sawa vya bidhaa zao ili kuwalindwa wateja, na hivyo kusiwe na standard marks kwa kila nchi. Kenya nakataa, wafanya biashara wake wanasema ni gharama sana. Uganda na Tanzania wameshakubali hilo, na ifikapo mwezi wa tisa bidhaa ambazo hazitakuwa katika viwango hivyo vya EAC zitazuiliwa kuingia kwenye nchi nyingine. Hebu fikiria, hii ni kitu gani? Siyo Nationalism? au Protectionism? Trading suspiciously?

Tusubiri tuone itakuwaje September...Je Kenya haitalalama upya juu ya kukataza bidhaa zake Tanzania?
 
Thinking about EAC is not sin, what I don't understand is this thing started by Kenyans called Fast-Tracking. I really wonder why all the rush.

There are so many important issues we need to deal with in TZ before thinking about EAC. Yes I do like integration but it is not a priority at the moment, we can keep the negotiation and discussions going on but concentrate on dealing with crucial issues affecting Tanzanians.

Our neighbours knows exactly what they are going to benefit from this Union, they have clear strategy and plans that why they are pushing for fact tracking. My question is do we Tanzanian know how we are going to benefit from this marriage? Have we established and strengthened the sectors we are going to have competitive advantage?

Honestly I do not know which economic activity is going to give us benefits as Tanzanians, I could think of

  • Mining, but we are not getting anything out of it,
  • Agriculture – we are also not doing good on that either.
  • Service sector – also we are not doing good,
  • Manufacturing- Mgao wa umeme hauwezu kuruhusu manufacturing kuendelea
  • Education - ndio usiseme kabisa,
  • Waganga wa Kienyeji – Yes... This is the only area we are good at.

Bottom line, if we do not have a single area that we know we are going have competitive advantage then it is just a waste of time thinking of EAC.

Lakini kwa sababu viongozi wetu ni wavivu kufikiri, wagumu kuelewa ,wepesi kusahau, na hawana uchungu na nchi hii zaidi ya matumbo yao na familia zao, usishangae kuona tunaburuzwa katika hii ndoa bila ridhaa ya wananchi.
 
Wakenya wakae kwao! Sipendi mwingiliano wa karibu na Wakenya!

Polepole kaka. I wouldn't be surprised if you dont know any Kenyan personally, thats why you are habouring such sentiments. You will never hear a Kenyan talking the way you did about Tanzanians, NEVER. To me that is as as a result of inferiority complex of which am sure you are suffering from, coz you cant tell me that you dislike us so much that you wouldn't want to associate with us just because we are pushing for a faster implementation of the EAC, get serious bana.
 
Honestly I do not know which economic activity is going to give us benefits as Tanzanians, I could think of

  • Mining, but we are not getting anything out of it,
  • Agriculture – we are also not doing good on that either.
  • Service sector – also we are not doing good,
  • Manufacturing- Mgao wa umeme hauwezu kuruhusu manufacturing kuendelea
  • Education - ndio usiseme kabisa,
  • Waganga wa Kienyeji – Yes... This is the only area we are good at.

This one had me rolling. Lakini to an extent its true coz in every town you go to, there must be a board advertising services from a 'mganga toka Tanga or some other parts of tanzania' who can cure literally anything, they are making a kill am sure of it.
 
ni muhim kulinda maslahi yetu zaidi kuliko EAC...kwani ni sisi ndo tutakao athirika...
 
That should be a win win thing. We dont want to run into the same thing like former EAC and end up calling each other nyang'au. So my friends Kenyans hold on a bit.
 
That should be a win win thing. We dont want to run into the same thing like former EAC and end up calling each other nyang'au. So my friends Kenyans hold on a bit.

Hold on till when?? The world is not waiting for us, countries are integrating and they are moving foward fast, sisi sijui twangoja Yesu aje kisha ndio tuungane ama sijui twangoja nini? Lets face the chalenges which the community will bring, kwani twamwogopa nani? we all humans I thought.
 
Watz tupunguze woga- tujiunge tu!

Watatuburuza tu katka maeneo ..mengine...ila pole pole tu tutafika!

Woga kitu mbaya!
 
Watz tupunguze woga- tujiunge tu!

Watatuburuza tu katka maeneo ..mengine...ila pole pole tu tutafika!

Woga kitu mbaya!
mpaka tuzinduke washachukua ardhi na kazi nyingi tu...wewe angalia Zimbabwe na SA wazawa hawana ardhi kule wala kazi nyingi zipo kwa wageni....
 
mpaka tuzinduke washachukua ardhi na kazi nyingi tu...wewe angalia Zimbabwe na SA wazawa hawana ardhi kule wala kazi nyingi zipo kwa wageni....

wewe wadhani SA ingekuwa mahali ipo saa hizi bila hao wageni? Tafakari hayo.
 
..halafu hata Wakenya na Waganda wako reluctant kuungana wenyewe huku wakiiacha Tanzania. hivi huu muungano ni lazima Tanzania iwepo? au bila Tanzania, muungano wa EAC siyo "dili" tena?
 
..halafu hata Wakenya na Waganda wako reluctant kuungana wenyewe huku wakiiacha Tanzania. hivi huu muungano ni lazima Tanzania iwepo? au bila Tanzania, muungano wa EAC siyo "dili" tena?

Mkuu umenena vyema, Wakenya na Waganda hawapikiki chungu kimoja hata kidogo, wote ni vichwa ngumu hivyo na wanahitaji Tanzania kuwapunguza speed.
Hilo liko wazi na wanalijua na ndomaana wanataja kuhakikisha Tanzania inakua kwenye EAC.
 
Wakenya wakae kwao! Sipendi mwingiliano wa karibu na Wakenya!
Mimi nafikiri Tanzania tuna fit zaidi kuungana na nchi za kusini kama Zambia, msumbiji, malawi lakini sio hawa wa kenya, waganda,burundu na rwanda.Hawa ni blood thirst mno.Kama maamuzi yakekuwa yangu ningependa iwe hivyo.Tukiungana tu zitaanza migogoro ya mipaka lake victoria na mlima kilimanjaro
 
Mimi nafikiri Tanzania tuna fit zaidi kuungana na nchi za kusini kama Zambia, msumbiji, malawi lakini sio hawa wa kenya, waganda,burundu na rwanda.Hawa ni blood thirst mno.Kama maamuzi yakekuwa yangu ningependa iwe hivyo.Tukiungana tu zitaanza migogoro ya mipaka lake victoria na mlima kilimanjaro

Uzuri maamuzi si yako, na most probably you wont be considered in any decision making that affects the so called EAC, so to me that's just wishful thinking, and its best you leave it in your bed when you wake up in the morning before coming out and seeing the real world.

What usually baffles me is your compulsive obsession with the Southern African countries, you tend to pull towards the South so much while you forget that your umbilical cord is East Africa, its like you are denying your roots. Do you think the South are obsessed with you like you are with them, me nah tink so.

Whats so good about this never ending EAC circus is that one day soon, pen and paper will meet and we will be discussing a whole new set of topics, like maybe; how much our economies are growing, how quickly we are solving the unemployment issues, how much our education systems are improving.
 
..hivi Mexico na USA si wako na ule mpango wao wanaita NAFTA?

..sasa mbona USA anajenga ukuta kule Arizona kuzuia Wamexico wasiingie USA?

..Watanzania hatuna haja ya kusaini na kukubaliana na kila kitu ktk EAC.

..serikali ya Tanzania isaini yale masuala ambayo tunaamini yana manufaa kwetu. siyo kuburuzwa tu kama misukule[zombies].

..hizi integretion zinakuwa overated mno. tuende tukachunguze huko walikoungana[EU,NAFTA,..] kama matatizo yao yamekwisha.

..Watanzania pia tuelezwe tunapata nini ndani ya EAC ili at the end of the day tuweze kupima the mafanikio kama yatakuwepo.
 
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