LET’S TAKE PRIDE IN OUR TOURISM RANKING

Tanzania’s efforts towards promoting its tourism are now paying dividends. The good news is that the country is now placed seventh among 45 places in the world as the preferred destination for tourists to visit this year.
This ranking by The New York Times January edition is no mean achievement by any standards. It is the result of concerted efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, agencies such as the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), our diplomatic missions abroad, publicity campaigns as well as travel agencies and other tourism stakeholders. Together, they propelled the country to where it is today.
Tanzania expected to receive one million tourists by the end of 2011 and generate about US$1.7 billion (about Sh2.7 trillion) in revenue if everything went according to plan. This is an improvement from 2009, when the country scooped $1.2 billion (about Sh1.9 trillion) from 714,367 visitors, according to the TTB managing director, Dr Aloyce Nzuki.
This year, he says, TTB will continue to promote sustainable tourism domestically and internationally, with the United States remaining the number one tourism market.
Tanzania should not be complacent about its new achievement, though. It should leave no stone unturned in achieving better performance. This will be possible only if all stakeholders put their heads together and come up with better strategies to achieve this goal.
 This requires a lot of resources in kind and mind from both the government and stakeholders. Here we are talking about raising the budget for tourism publicity and promotion not only locally but also abroad through our foreign missions.
Promotional activities such as tourism exhibitions abroad and tours for agents can do a lot to promote our country as an ideal tourist destination.Besides, we must not forget the development of the country’s infrastructure such as airports, roads, railways and communication in general.
These are crucial if tourists are to reach the country and return home according to their schedules. All in all, being placed among 45 countries that tourists would like to visit this year is no mean achievement. We should all toast to it.

EAC MUST WORK TOGETHER TO END TERRORISM THREAT

Al-Shabaab militants have developed into a threat to regional peace and security. They no longer operate in their hideouts in Somalia but have spread their tentacles far and wide. The havoc that Al Qaeda affiliates wreak not only affects individual countries but also other East African Community member states.
The militants have proved their flexibility in penetrating other territories and staging deadly attacks that have left many dead and hundreds injured.  With memories of the attacks in Burundi, Uganda and Kenya still fresh in our minds, the region has to take urgent measures to ensure peace and security prevails.
Joint efforts are required to ensure that the Somalia-based terrorists and pirates lose the ability to disrupt regional peace and stability. Pursuing them wherever they are is critical to eliminating the menace.
As security experts have warned, ignoring security threats will have deadly consequences as the groups reportedly recruit locals to stage attacks in their own countries. The case of the Kenyan youth who was jailed recently in connection with a terror attack in his country proves that Al Shabaab is using underground recruitment strategies that are hard to detect.
However, the threat to regional peace and security is not posed by terrorism and piracy only. Beatrice Kiraso, the EAC deputy secretary general (Political Federation), has pointed out that potential sources of conflict are still looming in the region.
Tensions at the borders, election-related violence and the proliferation of arms also pose the threat of insecurity and instability.
Let us not leave the responsibility for peace and security to the military only. Citizens can also play a significant role. The region must move quickly to put in place policy guidelines on counter-terrorism, as suggested by a senior Kenyan security official.
Approving the EAC draft Peace and Security Protocol also promises to be a step forward in containing terror. Strengthening financial and logistical support would equip security organs with the required know-how to fight terrorism.EAC member countries need to invest in an early warning mechanism and strategies to avoid such conflicts.

SOURCE OF ENERGY MUST BE RESPECTED

Energy is at the centre of human development. The discovery of fire and therefore energy transformed the economy in ways beyond the imagination. No nation can develop without reliable sources of energy.
It is for this reason that we welcome a forum organised for retired African statesmen by the African Presidential Centre at Boston University. The forum will deliberate on solutions to energy challenges that the continent faces.

Africa's energy demands have grown at unprecedented levels. As the population multiplies in leaps and bounds, so does the demand for energy. Clearly, Africa must invest adequately in discovering and using energy sources if it is to enjoy sustainable and equitable growth.
Tanzania is struggling when it comes to providing environment-friendly energy. Only about 13 per cent of the population is connected to electricity. Even then the supply is erratic, to put it mildly.
Only a small percentage of the population uses gas for domestic consumption. The majority use charcoal and firewood. This inevitably depletes forest resources. What this means is that the country will ultimately find itself trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty.  The Boston forum will, hopefully, seek to ensure that leaders identify and harness sources of energy wisely. This should be done equitably and in a manner that fosters economic growth.
There is no other way to create decent jobs, increase production and provide a supportive environment for sustainable development—assuming, of course, that Africa’s leadership is truly committed to making the continent a better place.

Bringing back Form II exams won’t cure education woes

I have been reading with great concern the reasoning behind the recent reintroduction of Form II examination. Basically, it aims to make a student repeat the year, get expelled or get tracked into vocational training, if he/she doesn’t earn the grade that qualifies him/her to join Form III. This, it is assumed, will make students study harder and perform better in the national Form II exam. However, many studies, including the one by Tanzania Media Women’s Association (Tamwa) have revealed that most schools had no teachers, laboratories, textbooks or feeding programme. Some didn’t have desks!