Greetings to All Tourism Associations. TCT would like to update you on developments relating to the document titled Blueprint for Regulatory Reforms to Improve the Business Environment, issued April 2018.
1. Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC) forms a Business Environment Working Group
TNBC recently formed a Business Environment Working Group (BE-WG) that will provide links with Sector dialogues and input to TNBC dialogues by addressing challenges impacting the business climate. One of the key agenda the BE-WG will be
Apart from the Business Environment Working Group, other Sectors with Working Groups are – Industrialisation, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism. The WG on Tourism is yet to be formed. TCT is following up on this matter and will update you all.
2. Engagement with Permanent Secretary, MNRT to agree on a Sector approach to
The Permanent Secretary MNRT (Prof. Adolf Mkenda) has agreed to a meeting in Dar es Salaam to begin deliberation on the way forward with the Blueprint. A date will be confirmed by the PS-MNRT and I will update you this important development. Stay tuned.
Whilst waiting for Government announcement on Implementation of the Blueprint, TCT has been engaging with our Ministry (MNRT) to jointly begin thinking through on developing a “Sector Approach” using the Sector – Natural Resources and Tourism dialogue platform (PPD) to brainstorm and agree on the ‘modus operandi’ to address this matter.
The Permanent Secretary MNRT (Prof. Adolf Mkenda) has agreed to a meeting in Dar es Salaam to begin deliberation on the way forward with the Blueprint. A date will be confirmed by the PS-MNRT and I will update you this important development. Stay tuned.
3. Understanding the Blueprint content and development of Private Sector position on the proposed Reforms
You may recall, during the second half of the year 2018, TCT engaged a Consultant Daima Associates, to meet with Tourism Associations and do two things: (1) Facilitate a discussion to understand contents of the Blueprint – * Objectives and Principles of Reforms* The methodology applied to develop Blueprint document* Analysis and findings that resulted into Reform Proposals* Fiscal Implications of proposed Reforms* Identified Quick-Wins and other Reforms in the document, there is a specific chapter on Tourism.
(2) After a good understanding of the Blueprint by Associations, to then develop Tourism Sector positions on the proposed reforms and also other areas that are important to the Sector that were not included. The idea behind this is to prepare our thoughts ready for the dialogue engagement.
4. Updating the Report on Competitiveness Impacts of Business Environment Reforms (CIBER)
TCT has commissioned a quick study to review and update the CIBER Report that was developed by TCT in 2010. The CIBER Report used the CIBER Methodology of “cost models” to analyze key regulatory constraints in prioritized issues. In brief, the standard cost model for Tour Operators and Hotel Operators as follows: A Tanzanian tour operator spends an average of 745 hours per year (more than four months) on regulatory procedures, costing Tsh 2.9 million. A Tanzanian hotel spends 1,042 hours a year (nearly six months) on regulatory procedures, costing Tsh 3.4 million. The administrative costs of doing business for the Tanzanian tourism sector exceed Tsh 1.1 billion per year. To enable both Public and Private Sector to engage in a meaningful dialogue with empirical evidence and data, it is important that we update the CIBER Report.
The Consultant will be visiting some of the Associations (TATO, HAT, TAOA, and TAHOA) for focus group meetings to get new information, data, systems etc and develop current Cost Models that Private Sector can then use in the PPD dialogue process. The Ministry (MNRT) will also be contacted.
TCT will send out to Associations (on Monday 28th) dates the Consultant will be visiting you for the focus group meetings.
Lastly, TCT will continue to update you on these developments and others as they unfold. Thank you.
Richard O Rugimbana
Executive Secretary, Tourism Confederation of Tanzania Email: es@tct.co.tzCellphone: (+255) 754 488 642