Realising that it is increasingly a burden to support embassies, the Tanzanian government is pushing for the construction of investment centres in strategic areas to cater for its missions around the globe

An immediate plan is to build a mega investment centre in Nairobi, Kenya to cater for all diplomatic missions in Africa, Bernard Membe (pictured), Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation said in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Membe was speaking at the 16th graduation ceremony of the Mozambique- Tanzania Centre for Foreign Relations.

He said: “Running embassies is very expensive, that is why the government thought of these investment centers to ease the burden of central government to take care of all diplomatic centres.” Apart from the Nairobi centre, the government would build a similar centre in London, Great Britain, said Membe, adding that work to construct the centres would start in the next financial year.

“These projects have been possible following my ministry receiving from the government funds amounting to Sh44 billion during the past four years, also earmarked for the renovation of different diplomatic centres abroad,” Membe told The Guardian on Sunday.

According to the minister, discussion with stakeholders such as pension funds like National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is underway to pave the way for the construction of the centres. To date Tanzania has an investment centre in Washington DC and New York.

On curbing fraud in handling the projects, Membe said: “The ‘Italian experience’ is enough, and there is no way the government is going to let that incident to happen again…we have also expanded and strengthened our auditing system to control this malpractice.”

On Friday, Membe said Tanzania continued gaining ground in diplomacy both at regional and global levels, whereas within 10 years, the country has earned kudos for being on the front line in conflict resolution and negotiation in Africa. “Apart from the country’s involvement in regional and global diplomacy, there are many Tanzanians out there who have been doing such a commendable job in the diplomatic arena hence advocating a positive diplomatic status of our country,” he noted. He challenged Tanzania media to educate journalists in diplomatic studies expressing that he has always been saddened to notice that most international affairs reports have been borrowed from foreign sources.

The minister said that a proposed plan by the governments of Tanzania and Canada to start a Peace Keeping School in Tanzania was commendable because it would assist in peace making process on the continent.

He also commended the services provided by the Centre for Foreign Relations, saying it was preparing diplomats to serve both within and outside the continent.

Membe revealed that the government was keen to keep the Indian Ocean a safe area and that it had accumulated special military facilities for the Marine Unit for combating Somali pirates off the Indian Ocean Coast.

In 2009, the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) received assistance worth $9 million from UK and USA for the deployment to Darfur for peacekeeping mission, where the US was responsible for the procurement of the equipment and training of the troops while UK was responsible for transporting the equipment

The minister called for more research in the new foreign policy of Economic Diplomacy adopted by the government for the past 10 ten years.  He listed participation and challenges which the private sector faced as key issues that needed  special  attention  in  the  new  foreign policy.

Diaspora and how the business community can benefit from opportunities resulting from Tanzanian’s efforts in conflict resolutions abroad and specifically in the Great Lakes Region are others, the minister said.

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