COVID-19: Tanzania, World Bank for high-level discussions Monday

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

The World Bank’s Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Mr Hafez Ghanem, will visit Tanzania on Monday, a few days after President Samia Suluhu Hassan discussed Covid-19-related matters with the global lender’s chief.

Dr. Ghanem will hold high-level discussions with President Hassan and other senior government officials and development partners. He will also meet with private sector leaders and representatives of Tanzanian civil society.

“This follows on President Hassan’s bilateral meeting with World Bank Group President David Malpass in New York this week where they discussed Tanzania’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and accelerate vaccinations, and the country’s business environment and reforms being undertaken to facilitate private sector-led growth,” said the World Bank Group in a statement.

Dr Ghanem’s latest visit is his second to Tanzania as World Bank Vice President.

The Last Citizen recalls that President Hassan, last Tuesday, met with the World Bank Group’s President David Malpass in New York, where the two discussed the lender’s support to Tanzania in the country’s efforts to mitigate Covid-19 impacts and accelerate vaccination.

President Malpass affirmed the World Bank’s willingness to support vaccines procurement, uptake and deployment through its International Development Assistance (IDA). Mr Malpass also lauded Tanzania’s efforts to improve the business environment and facilitate private sector-led growth through reforms.

He stressed the importance of electricity access, affordable housing, and digital infrastructure – including regional solutions – to improve efficiency and access competitive markets.

Mr Malpass also emphasized the importance of debt transparency, and encouraged careful selection of investment programmes and their financing sources.