Category: The Citizen

Cooperative stakeholders in Morogoro Region have called on the government to intervene in long-standing farmer-pastoralist conflicts and secure reliable markets for agricultural produce, saying these challenges undermine productivity despite strong cooperative performance in the region overall.

They noted that Morogoro prides itself on having 212 cooperative societies that have overseen crop sales worth more than Sh134 billion, yet persistent land-use conflicts and weak market systems continue to discourage farmers and reduce incomes.

Speaking yesterday, during the regional International Day of Cooperatives celebrations held in Ifakara, Kilombero District, the Assistant Registrar of Cooperatives in Morogoro Region, Ms Cesilia Sostenes, said the cooperative movement remains a key pillar of the region’s economic development through crop marketing, financial services, and investment activities.

She said the celebrations were held alongside the Sixth Cooperative Development Forum under the themes ‘Cooperatives for a Peaceful World’ and ‘Protect Cooperatives, Choose Integrity.’

‘Morogoro Region has a total of 212 cooperative societies, including 168 agricultural marketing cooperative societies, 36 Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (Saccos), three cooperative unions, and five joint ventures,’ she said, adding that membership stood at 69,639, comprising 38,767 men and 30,872 women.

She added that during the 2025/2026 season, cooperatives facilitated the sale of 21,408,497 kilogrammes of sesame worth Sh53.9 billion, 28,194,517 kilogrammes of pigeon peas worth Sh28.2 billion, 1,216,740 kilogrammes of cocoa worth Sh17.4 billion, and 435,337 kilogrammes of cashew nuts worth more than Sh1 billion, with farmers paid on time.

In addition, Ms Sostenes said 495,000 tonnes of sugarcane worth Sh34 billion were sold to Kilombero, Mtibwa, and Mkulazi factories, while more than Sh2 billion was collected through various levies and taxes across the region’s nine councils.

She further said other achievements include linking 23 crop cooperatives with Saccos and financial institutions to improve access to loans, as well as helping the government obtain accurate data on agricultural production and trade.

However, the Morogoro Cooperative Development Forum Chairperson, Mr Idadi Bilali, said that despite these gains, farmer-pastoralist conflicts and lack of reliable markets remain major obstacles affecting cooperative development overall.

He said the conflicts have severely impacted areas such as the Mbigiri and Mtibwa basins, where rice, sugarcane, and other farmers have suffered significant losses, with some abandoning commercial farming altogether.

Mr Bilali added that crops such as rice, maize, beans, and vegetables are still being sold to middlemen due to the absence of structured markets, depriving farmers of fair returns.

Representing Morogoro Regional Commissioner Adam Malima, Kilombero District Commissioner, Mr Dunstan Kyobya said the region should learn from other regions that have successfully strengthened cooperative systems to improve efficiency, transparency, and member benefits.

He said cooperative success would increase further if existing challenges are addressed, stressing that integrity, cooperation, and peace are the foundation of the sector’s growth.

‘Morogoro Region has every reason to become a leader in cooperatives in the country, but this is only possible if we strengthen management, resolve conflicts, and ensure farmers access profitable markets for their produce,’ said Mr Kyobya.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed health researchers to investigate the growing number of children suffering from cancer and heart diseases, warning that the trend is becoming an increasingly serious public health concern in Tanzania.

Speaking yesterday during the inauguration of a new radiotherapy centre at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, President Hassan said the rise in non-communicable diseases among children demands urgent scientific attention to establish the underlying causes and guide preventive interventions.

The East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) has approved a supplementary budget of about $4.79 million (about Sh12.61 billion) for the 2025/2026 financial year.

At the same sitting, the East African Community (EAC) tabled a proposed budget of $110.9 million for the 2026/2027 financial year.

More than 600 leaders, policymakers, innovators, academics and civil society representatives from across Africa and beyond are expected to gather in Addis Ababa on July 29 and 30, 2026, for the inaugural World Public Summit Africa, organisers have said.

Hosted at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (Uneca) under the theme ‘New World: Africa in Shaping a Common Future,’ the summit is being organised by the World Peoples Assembly in partnership with the Global Black Centre and several international organisations.

Organisers say the forum will provide a platform for advancing dialogue, cooperation and development through public diplomacy, cultural exchange and economic partnerships at a time when African countries are seeking a greater role in global decision-making.

According to the organisers, the summit reflects a growing view that traditional state-to-state diplomacy alone is no longer sufficient to address contemporary challenges and opportunities.

Instead, they argue for broader engagement involving citizens, civil society organisations, educational institutions, businesses and cultural actors.

‘The summit reflects a new approach to international engagement that prioritises people-to-people cooperation, mutual respect and shared development goals,’ organisers said in a statement.

The two-day event will feature a high-level plenary session, five thematic discussion tracks, an international business cooperation forum, a 1,200-square-metre innovation exhibition and an international awards ceremony. More than 2,000 participants are also expected to attend a closing celebration and concert at the Adwa Memorial Complex.

Discussions will focus on five themes considered critical to Africa’s future development and international engagement.

The first track, ‘Genuine Sovereignty,’ will examine strategies for strengthening national resilience through investments in infrastructure, food security and information systems, while exploring how African countries can enhance self-reliance and remain active participants in global cooperation.

The second, ‘Youth Leadership,’ will focus on education, employment and leadership development, with discussions expected to explore ways of equipping Africa’s growing youth population with skills and opportunities to compete in a global economy.

Under ‘Innovations for the Future,’ experts will discuss artificial intelligence, digital transformation, infrastructure modernisation, media evolution and the wider social implications of technological change.

A fourth track, ‘Creativity and Cultural Diplomacy,’ will explore how Africa’s cultural heritage can be used to strengthen international partnerships, build trust and foster mutual understanding among nations and communities.

The fifth theme, ‘International Scientific and Educational Cooperation,’ will focus on cross-border research, academic partnerships and knowledge exchange as drivers of sustainable development.

Alongside the thematic discussions, the International Business Cooperation Platform will seek to strengthen economic ties between African and international partners. Organisers say the forum, themed ‘From Trust Between Peoples to Trust Between Economies,’ will facilitate business-to-business and government-to-business engagements while showcasing investment opportunities across the continent.

Participants will also have access to an innovation exhibition featuring solutions in food technology, cybersecurity, financial technology, smart transport, education and digital infrastructure.

Organisers say the summit is intended to deliver practical outcomes beyond the event itself. These include plans to establish an African Network of Public Diplomacy, create a community of African public diplomacy leaders and launch a World Peoples Assembly Business Club in Africa.

Other anticipated outcomes include the development of a media platform dedicated to public diplomacy and African storytelling, as well as stronger partnerships among governments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

Delegates are expected to adopt four key documents at the conclusion of the summit: an African Communiqué, recommendations for the broader World Public Summit 2026, proposals to strengthen NGO cooperation across the continent and initiatives supporting the development of a public diplomacy media platform.

The Addis Ababa gathering will be the first of six regional summits planned ahead of the flagship World Public Summit 2026 under the theme ‘A New World: Values That Unite.’ Additional regional forums are scheduled for India, the Arab world, Latin America, Europe and Russia.

Organisers say the Africa summit will provide an opportunity for the continent to contribute to emerging global conversations on diplomacy, development and international cooperation while promoting a vision grounded in sovereignty, innovation, cultural exchange and shared prosperity.

Clad almost entirely in red and draped in South Korean flags, hundreds of Korean Americans transformed Liberty Park in Los Angeles’ Koreatown into a slice of home on Wednesday, chanting, singing and dancing under ?the banner of a simple slogan: “Keeping Our Roots Eternal.”

The phrase adorned flags, food stalls and merchandise across the park, capturing the spirit of a World Cup watch party that became about far more than the outcome of South Korea’s final group-stage match against South Africa.

While the action unfolded more than 1,400 miles (2,250 km) away in Monterrey, Mexico, Liberty Park briefly felt much closer to Seoul than Southern ?California.

Families queued for Korean street food and face painting before kickoff as performers took to the stage. Drummers pounded in ?perfect rhythm with cheerleaders while supporters broke into chants that echoed across the park.

Even when South ?Korea conceded a second-half goal on their way to a 1-0 defeat, the noisy atmosphere barely wavered.

During the hydration break, cheerleaders rushed ?back onto the stage, leading fans through energetic routines to Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and music from the hit animated film “KPop Demon Hunters”, quickly ?replacing disappointment with celebration.

For many gathered in Koreatown, the day was less about football than about reaffirming ties to a heritage thousands of miles away.

‘Bringing our community together’

“I love Korea. I love representing my heritage,” said Irene Choi, who was born in Los Angeles and whose mother runs a ballet ?school in the city’s Korean community.

“I wish I was in Korea and I could experience it there. I never have. But this ?comes second. Every single World Cup viewing party in K-Town is always so much fun. It brings our community together.”

Mitchell Lee, a nonprofit worker Maryland ?who was visiting Los Angeles with relatives for a family wedding, said attending the gathering was never in doubt.

“Koreatown just has such a vibe,” he said. “We had to come.”

Born and raised in the US, Lee said football remains one of the strongest connections his family have to their roots.

“We love cheering together as one community,” he said.

Others admitted they were drawn less by the sport ?itself than by the shared experience.

“I’m ?not really a soccer fan,” ?said Donnie, a registered nurse who has lived in Los Angeles since childhood.

“But the World Cup kind of always brings out a little bit of national pride. It’s more fun to watch ?when a crowd is screaming and enjoying it instead of just watching it at home by ?myself.”

While many fans ?were too young to remember South Korea’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002 when the country co-hosted the tournament with Japan or were born in the United States, the public gathering offered something different: an opportunity to celebrate a shared identity with strangers who ?felt like ?family.

As the final whistle confirmed defeat, leaving South Korea hoping to reach the ?knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams, the drums continued to beat and fans lingered in Liberty Park, chatting beneath fluttering Korean flags.Advertisement · Scroll to continue

For one afternoon ?in Los Angeles, the crowd embraced the feeling the slogan promised: keeping their roots eternal.

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Japan’s north-east coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and authorities said no irregularities had been detected at nuclear facilities.

Japan’s government established an emergency response team to gather information on the earthquake in the Tohoku region and said it was prepared to launch disaster relief operations if necessary.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters that authorities were closely monitoring the situation following the quake.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake’s epicentre was located off the coast of Iwate Prefecture at a depth of about 50 kilometres. The agency said no tsunami damage was expected, although slight changes in sea levels could occur.

On Japan’s seven-point seismic intensity scale, the hardest-hit area was Aomori Prefecture, which recorded an intensity of 6-plus, a level capable of making it difficult for people to remain standing or move without crawling.

Tohoku Electric Power said no abnormalities had been detected at its Onagawa nuclear power plant or the idled Higashidori facility. The Nuclear Regulation Authority also reported no irregularities at nearby facilities operated by Tokyo Electric Power and other companies.

East Japan Railway said it had suspended some train services, including sections of the Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed rail network, while safety inspections were carried out. Some expressway routes in Aomori were also temporarily closed for inspections.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active countries. The country accounts for about one-fifth of the world’s earthquakes measuring magnitude 6 or higher.

In March 2011, Japan’s north-east coast was struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in the country, followed by a devastating tsunami. The disaster triggered the world’s worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chornobyl disaster.

Australian authorities ramped ?up surveillance and testing after confirming two cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu, while Papua New Guinea suspended all poultry imports from the country.

Tests are underway in South Australia after two dead sub-Antarctic seabirds and a pelican were found on Monday near Fowlers Bay, more than 1,200 km (746 miles) east of Esperance in Western Australia where ?the first two confirmed cases were reported, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

South Australia state Primary Industries ?Minister Claire Scriven told ABC Radio it could be several days before results from the ?bird samples are available.

“In terms of the turnaround times, it sort of depends on the outcomes … we hope ?this doesn’t get to South Australia, but we know, of course, that it may,” Scriven said.

A South Australia Primary ?Industries Department spokesperson said there were no confirmed bird flu cases in the state, but it will investigate any reports of sick or dead birds and will alert the public if a positive case is found.

Ground-based surveillance and drone surveys are being carried ?out at sea lion breeding sites along South Australia’s west and far west coasts, while testing frequency has been ?increased in high-risk areas.

Two more birds are being tested in Western Australia, far from the initial cases, but authorities said there ?no evidence of a wider spread, the ABC reported. A total of 11 samples have been sent for testing in Western Australia from 94 reports of dead or unwell birds over the past three days, the report added.

The confirmed cases have prompted neighbouring Papua New Guinea to ban poultry meat and product imports from Australia, the Department ?of Agriculture said on Wednesday.

While ?Australian poultry meat is ?mainly grown for local consumption, Papua New Guinea is Australia’s largest export market, buying A$44 million ($30.38 million) worth of products in 2023.

The department said the ban was imposed ?despite the poultry sector remaining free of bird flu, adding that it was “actively engaging ?with PNG to ?resolve this issue.”

Until now, Australia had been the only continent without a confirmed mainland case, though the virus was detected in late 2025 on the sub-Antarctic territory of Heard Island.

Human infections remain rare, but the global spread of avian ?influenza has ?devastated flocks and disrupted the supply and pricing of poultry meat ?and eggs in many countries. In its efforts to tackle bird flu, Australia has tightened farm biosecurity, increased testing of shorebirds, vaccinated vulnerable species ?and conducted response simulations.

Imagine a household that spends more money than it earns. Normally, the family would have to borrow from a bank, relatives or friends.

The lender would ask difficult questions: How much do you need? How will you repay? Can you afford the loan? These questions impose discipline because the lender risks losing money if the borrower cannot repay.

Now imagine that the family owns a machine capable of creating money whenever it runs short. The temptation would be obvious. Why go through the trouble of convincing a bank or a relative to lend when you can simply create the money yourself?

This simple example helps explain one of the most important principles of modern economics. Governments are generally expected to borrow from financial markets, commercial banks and the public through Treasury Bills and Treasury Bonds.

They are discouraged from borrowing directly from their central banks because central banks possess a unique power: they can create money.

The Finance Act, 2026 has therefore generated considerable public debate because it introduces a new provision allowing the government, under specified emergency circumstances, to obtain temporary advances from the Bank of Tanzania. Supporters argue that every country requires emergency financing mechanisms during disasters and major economic shocks.

Critics fear that such provisions could become a back door through which governments gradually finance ordinary budget deficits by creating money. Who is right?

The answer is that both sides have a point.

Central bank financing is not inherently bad. The economic concern is not simply that the government may borrow from the Bank of Tanzania.

It is that borrowing from a central bank differs fundamentally from borrowing from commercial banks or the public. When the government issues Treasury Bonds, it mobilises savings that already exist within the economy.

When it borrows from the central bank, new purchasing power can be created. If used sparingly during genuine emergencies, such financing can help stabilise an economy during crises.

However, if used repeatedly to finance ordinary budget deficits, the result may be excessive growth of money relative to production, leading to inflation, pressure on the exchange rate and a gradual erosion of confidence in the national currency.

For this reason, economists generally regard central-bank financing as an emergency instrument rather than a routine source of government funding.

History also provides cautionary lessons.

In this regard, Zimbabwe’s experience remains the most familiar example in Africa. Faced with severe fiscal pressures and shrinking financing options, the government increasingly relied on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to finance public expenditure.

What began as a response to economic difficulties gradually evolved into persistent monetary financing.

The result was runaway inflation that destroyed savings, eroded public confidence and eventually forced widespread reliance on foreign currencies, particularly the US dollar.

Zimbabwe’s experience was not caused by central bank financing alone, but it demonstrated how dangerous the situation can become when emergency measures lose effective restraint.

Tanzania is neither the United States nor Zimbabwe. Our circumstances are different.

Nevertheless, these international experiences illustrate an important lesson: borrowing from a central bank can either help a nation overcome a crisis or contribute to economic instability depending on the safeguards that accompany it.

This is why the exact wording of the new law matters.

The Finance Act, 2026 allows temporary advances where an unforeseeable or unavoidable event causes a temporary deficiency of revenue.

It identifies three circumstances: a disaster as defined under the Disaster Management Act; an external economic event, circumstance or cause of exceptional magnitude and impact; or a constitutional state of emergency.

The first and third conditions are relatively clear. The second is less so.

What exactly constitutes an external economic event of exceptional magnitude and impact? A global recession? A sudden increase in oil prices? A decline in aid flows? A fall in export earnings? A sharp depreciation of the shilling? The law does not specify.

As a result, much would depend on how this provision is interpreted and implemented.

This concern becomes more significant when viewed against the country’s broader fiscal situation. In a recent series of articles on debt and development, I noted that Tanzania’s debt-service obligations are estimated to consume approximately 45 percent of government revenue.

Whether one agrees with the precise figure or not, it is clear that debt servicing now absorbs a substantial share of public resources.

The International Monetary Fund generally regards debt-service burdens above approximately 18 percent of government revenue as an early warning indicator for low-income countries.

In such circumstances, access to direct central bank financing may become increasingly attractive to any government facing revenue pressures.

This is why Parliament should strengthen the safeguards in the law itself.

It should consider introducing amendments requiring the Minister for Finance to report any such borrowing to the National Assembly within a specified period, indicating the amount borrowed, the interest rate charged, the reason for the borrowing and the proposed source of repayment.

The Governor of the Bank of Tanzania should certify that the advance is consistent with the Bank’s mandate to maintain monetary stability.

The law could also require all such advances to be disclosed publicly and repaid within a fixed period unless Parliament expressly approves an extension.

These measures would not weaken the government’s ability to respond to genuine emergencies.

On the contrary, they would strengthen public confidence that extraordinary powers will be used only for extraordinary circumstances.

The issue, therefore, is not whether the government should ever borrow from the central bank.

Most economists would agree that exceptional situations sometimes require exceptional measures.

The real issue is who decides when circumstances are exceptional, and who ensures that tomorrow’s emergency does not quietly become today’s budget policy.

The High Court of Tanzania, Musoma-Registry, has declared the National Muslim Council of Tanzania (Bakwata) the lawful owner of Masjid Rahman Mosque in Butiama, bringing to an end a protracted dispute over a religious complex built with funding secured from former Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

The complex comprises a mosque, a hostel, and a residential house.

Mwanga Hakika Bank has introduced a new campaign aimed at eliminating several banking charges and making financial services more accessible, particularly for individuals and small businesses.

Under the initiative dubbed Benki kwa Zero, customers will be able to open accounts without an initial deposit and will not be subject to monthly maintenance fees or other deductions, according to the bank.

The lender also unveiled an upgraded version of its Pesa Hakika mobile application, which offers digital account opening, short-term loans and investment services.

Speaking during the launch in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, the bank’s managing director, Mr Jagjit Singh, said the move was intended to make banking services simpler and more affordable for customers.

‘We believe banking services should be simple, transparent and affordable for every Tanzanian. Through Benki kwa Zero, customers can save and transact without worrying about deductions,’ he said.

The bank’s chief commercial officer, Mr Thomas Enock, said the initiative was expected to address challenges faced by individual customers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while encouraging more people to move their savings from the informal sector into the formal financial system.

He said technology had enabled the bank to reduce operating costs and pass some of the benefits to customers.

The upgraded Pesa Hakika App allows customers to open accounts digitally without making an initial deposit and provides access to investment products and short-term credit facilities under the Mkopo Chap service.

The bank said the platform incorporates enhanced security features to support business and retail transactions.

The move comes amid growing competition among lenders seeking to attract customers through digital banking services and lower transaction costs, as financial institutions increasingly target underserved segments and expand access to formal financial services.