Category: The Citizen

Dar es Salaam . Universities and lecturers play a critical role in equipping young Tanzanians with the creativity, collaboration and soft skills necessary to succeed in the country’s growing start-up ecosystem.

These remarks were made by Sahara Ventures CEO Jumanne Mtambalike during the opening of Tanzania Start-up Week 2025, where he addressed investors, innovators and key sector stakeholders. Mr Mtambalike emphasised that academic success alone is not enough for entrepreneurial growth.

“To some extent, many young people have very good GPAs because they attend university, but what they lack is soft skills. These are critical for building businesses,” he said.

He stressed the importance of collaboration, urging young entrepreneurs to find co-founders, view others as partners rather than competitors, and learn to accept constructive feedback. “Innovation hubs, accelerators and incubators play a key role in bridging skills gaps,” he added, noting that many start-ups still rely on mentors for basic skills such as pitching, presenting and communicating with confidence.

Mr Mtambalike also called on educational institutions to cultivate creativity and critical thinking. “We want students to brainstorm, associate ideas, reframe problems and share opinions without fear of criticism,” he said.

Founding Partner at BANKABLE (T) Limited, Ivan Tarimo, highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between institutions and start-ups. He urged public and private institutions to report annually on their engagement with innovators to scale support and formalise innovation.

On Tanzania’s roadmap to a $1 trillion economy by 2030, Tarimo emphasised investing in human capital. “If you pick three strategic priorities, one must be people and skills,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at MUHAS, Prof Bruno Sunguya, noted the transformative impact of student-led initiatives, while Coordinator at the National Digital Technology Institute, Dr Selemani Arthur, highlighted government investments in ICT infrastructure and capacity building to prepare students for the digital economy. By combining policy, infrastructure and applied training, Dr Arthur said the government aims to provide a practical platform for the next generation of innovators.

.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s push to position itself as a digital economy has taken a decisive step forward, with the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) launching an ambitious digital transformation agenda that could redefine the country’s higher education landscape.

At a time when global universities distinguish themselves through digital delivery, UDSM is reclaiming its historical leadership role by setting a benchmark for smart, technology-driven learning. The initiative, supported through the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project, includes signing 12 contracts worth Sh10.3 billion to install ICT infrastructure and smart furniture across 21 buildings within its main and constituent campuses in Dar es Salaam, Lindi, Kagera and Zanzibar.

The investment, according to Vice Chancellor Prof William Anangisye, who spoke during the signing ceremony on November 29, 2025, is central to the university’s decade-long Smart Campus Roadmap (20222032), which aims to increase efficiency in teaching, learning and service delivery. “This project supports 60 percent of our Smart Campus Roadmap.

Our goal is to strengthen ICT infrastructure so that teaching and learning can take place anywhere, anytime,” he said. Tanzania’s higher education sector has for many years struggled with overcrowded lecture halls, some holding over 1,000 students, compromising learning outcomes in key disciplines.

The shift to digital delivery, analysts say, offers the most realistic pathway to solving space shortages without incurring heavy construction costs. Higher education expert Dr Joyce Maganiko argued that UDSM’s move “marks a structural change in how universities approach access.

A single online lecture can serve thousands without diminishing quality, provided digital pedagogy is properly strengthened.” The National Digital Education Strategy (2024/252029/30), released by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, directly supports such transitions.

The strategy emphasises ICT infrastructure expansion, digital content development, capacity building for educators, and the adoption of emerging technologies to improve inclusiveness, equity and quality across all levels of education. The document outlines seven core pillars, among them, ICT infrastructure and access, digital content development, digital assessment and emerging technologies, all aimed at transforming how learning is designed, delivered and monitored.

It further identifies soft infrastructure such as Learning Management Systems (LMS), data analytics and digital libraries as critical enablers of quality teaching and administration. How UDSM aligns with the national vision UDSM’s investments mirror the strategy’s directive that every higher education institution must modernise ICT infrastructure, expand online and blended learning, upgrade digital libraries, and implement data-driven management systems.

The strategy underscores that ICT must be used to “enhance access to quality teaching, learning and administration enabling every learner to contribute significantly to national development.” Furthermore, the National ICT Policy 2016 emphasises nationwide development of reliable broadband, digital skills, and digital research capabilities.

This aligns with UDSM’s ongoing upgrades to campus-wide WiFi, expanded bandwidth, digital administrative systems and integration of platforms such as MOODLE and MOOCs. Digital education specialist Catherine Mushi said UDSM’s progress “mirrors what leading global universities have done, using technology to create flexibility, stimulate innovation and reach international learners.

Tanzania is finally entering that competitive space.” She added that universities today “do not compete by the size of their buildings but by the strength of their digital ecosystems,” emphasising that completing the Smart Campus Roadmap would place UDSM among Africa’s few institutions with fully digitised learning, research and administrative systems.

Globally, universities that digitalise their academic delivery, such as Singapore’s NUS, South Africa’s UNISA, and the UK’s Open University, attract international enrolments and score higher on rankings that assess innovation, research access and teaching quality. Political and international relations analyst Dr Petro Mutashobya noted that UDSM’s shift “has diplomatic and reputational value.

A university that offers globally accessible programmes becomes an academic bridge for international students and researchers. It increases Tanzania’s visibility and soft power.

” The National Digital Education Strategy stresses research, innovation and entrepreneurship as a core pillar, calling for universities to create digital learning environments that enhance competitiveness in regional and global education markets. If implemented at scale across all institutions, the digital shift will support government aspirations under the Tanzania Digital Economy Framework, the Education Sector Development Plan and Dira 2050, all of which emphasise modernising teaching and developing a tech-skilled population.

According to Ms Mushi, “UDSM’s transformation gives Tanzania a model. It proves that digital education is no longer a future ambition but an implementable reality.

” The strategy also emphasises inclusivity through digital access, ensuring that geography, disability or classroom shortages no longer limit learning opportunities. With improved digital infrastructure, backed by the National ICT Broadband Backbone and the National Internet Data Centre, universities can deliver content anywhere in the country.

.

Young Africans (Yanga) first-choice goalkeeper Djigui Diarra and defender Ibrahim “Bacca” Hamad stole the spotlight in the CAF Champions League clash against JS Kabylie, guiding the Tanzanian giants to a historic 00 draw on Algerian soil. The result marked Yanga’s first-ever unbeaten outing in Algeria in the competition, turning a challenging away fixture into a showcase of growth and maturity.

Diarra was the backbone of Yanga’s resilience, earning a match-high rating of 7.9 points.

The Malian goalkeeper delivered several crucial stops, commanded his area with authority, and made impeccable decisions throughout the 90 minutes. Each save boosted the team’s confidence and silenced the home crowd, reaffirming his status as one of the finest goalkeepers in the Caf Champions League.

Just ahead of him, Ibrahim “Bacca” Hamad orchestrated an equally remarkable performance, earning a rating of 7.8 points.

The midfielder served as Yanga’s engine, keeping the team structured and composed under relentless pressure. acca’s ability to break up play, recycle possession intelligently, and carry the ball out of danger ensured Yanga maintained balance in key moments.

Together, Diarra and Bacca formed the spine of a performance that highlighted Yanga’s growing continental pedigree. The draw ended Yanga’s run of two consecutive defeats in Algeria and delivered a crucial psychological boost.

It also earned a valuable away point that could prove decisive in the race for the knockout stages. With four points from their opening two Group B matches, Yanga sit joint-top alongside defending champions Al Ahly, while AS FAR Rabat and JS Kabylie follow with one point each.

Yanga also became the first team to earn a point from JS Kabylie at home since April 22, 2023. Kabylie had entered the match on a formidable home streak, beating Monastir of Tunisia 20 and crushing Ghana’s Bibiani Gold Stars 50. That streak was halted by a disciplined Yanga side anchored by two standout individual performances. Kabylie’s Belaid Zineddine and Himid Mohammed were their best performers, both rated 7.

5, but their efforts were insufficient to breach Yanga’s defensive wall. By the final whistle, Yanga left Algeria with more than just a point.

They departed with a new record, renewed confidence, and undeniable proof that their defensive core, led by Diarra and Bacca, can withstand Africa’s toughest challenges. The result may well mark a turning point in their Caf Champions League campaign, setting the stage for a bold and determined Group B journey.

.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed on Sunday US President Donald Trump’s threat to exclude Pretoria from next year’s G20 summit, reaffirming South Africa’s status as a founding member of the group. Washington boycotted the Group of 20 leaders’ summit held under South Africa’s presidency in Johannesburg on November 22-23, with Trump repeating allegations, widely discredited, that the host country’s Black-majority government persecutes its white minority.

Trump said last Wednesday that South Africa would not be invited to the summit to be held in Florida next year because it had refused to hand over the G20 presidency to a senior representative of its embassy who was at the closing ceremony. Pretoria says it handed over the rotating presidency to a U.

S. embassy official.

“South Africa is and will remain a full, active and constructive member of the G20,” Ramaphosa said in a state of the nation address on Sunday. He also described as “blatant misinformation” Trump’s repeated claims that South Africa was committing “genocide against Afrikaners” – descendants of Dutch settlers – and confiscating land from white citizens.

Ramaphosa noted that despite the diplomatic rift, US businesses and civil society groups engaged actively in G20-related events in Johannesburg in November. “We value those constructive ties and will continue to work within the G20 framework,” he said, signalling Pretoria’s intention to maintain dialogue.

.

Tel Aviv. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court on Monday for the first time since asking the country’s president for a pardon in his long-running corruption trial, a request backed by close ally U.

S. President Donald Trump.

Opposition politicians have come out against the request, with some arguing that any pardon should be conditional on Netanyahu retiring from politics and admitting guilt. Others have said the prime minister must first call national elections, which are due by October 2026, before requesting any pardon.

Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister, said he would support ending the trial if Netanyahu were to agree to withdraw from politics “in order to pull Israel out of this chaos”. “This way, we can put this behind us, unite and rebuild the country together,” said Bennett, who led a coalition government that won the 2021 election, ousting Netanyahu from office.

Netanyahu won the election the next year to return to power. Polls show Bennett as the most likely to head the next government if Netanyahu departed.

Indicted on bribery, fraud charges in 2020 Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, was indicted back in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust after years of investigations. His trial began in 2020. The prime minister has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and made no admission of guilt in his request for a pardon, with Netanyahu’s lawyers stating that he believed that the legal proceedings, if completed, would end in a complete acquittal.

A small group of demonstrators gathered outside Monday’s Tel Aviv court hearing, some of them wearing orange prison-style jumpsuits and calling on Netanyahu to go to prison. Ilana Barzilay, one of the demonstrators outside the court, said she believed it was unacceptable that Netanyahu asked for a pardon without pleading guilty or taking any responsibility.

In a letter to President Isaac Herzog that was released on Sunday, lawyers for Netanyahu said that frequent court appearances were hindering the prime minister’s ability to govern. A pardon would also be good for the country, they said.

‘For the world, we ask for peace. We implore it especially for Lebanon and for the whole Levant.

Pardons in Israel have typically been granted only after legal proceedings have concluded and the accused has been convicted. There is no precedent for issuing a pardon mid-trial.

“It will be handled in the most correct and precise manner,” Herzog said in a statement on Monday, acknowledging that the pardon request had stirred debate and unsettled many Israelis. “I will consider solely the best interests of the state of Israel and Israeli society,” he said.

Trump sees Netanyahu’s case as ‘political’ Allies of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition have backed his request, which came two weeks after Trump wrote to Herzog asking him to consider pardoning Netanyahu, calling the cases against him a “political, unjustified prosecution”. In recent elections, Netanyahu’s rivals have made his legal cases a central campaign issue.

Many polls indicate that his coalition, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, would struggle to win enough seats to form the next government. .

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanians will be looking to Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, as President Samia Suluhu Hassan makes her second address to the city’s elders.

Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila said on Monday that the President will meet with and engage the region’s elders at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, starting at 11 a.m.

“President Hassan will use this gathering with the elders to address the nation,” Mr Chalamila told journalists at his office. He said that the President would be accompanied by government and non-government leaders, whose contributions are expected to be significant in discussions on the country’s future.

“It is a timely meeting. One that restores hope and continues to heal the wounds where Tanzanians have suffered,” Chalamila said, in an apparent reference to the unrest that erupted during and after the October 29, 2025, elections.

President Hassan has previously stated that lives were lost and both public and private properties were damaged during the chaos. Terming the events as economic sabotage, Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba recently told editors in Dar es Salaam that the violence was not spontaneous, but a carefully orchestrated attempt to cripple vital national infrastructure.

Dr Nchemba said the pattern, timing and scale of destruction pointed to a coordinated effort to fracture national unity and derail economic progress. “What happened, and the way it was organised, was totally an act of economic sabotage,” he said.

“Even an ordinary farmer would not plant a field and then set it on fire. These are your roads, Tanzanians.

” He cited data illustrating the calculated nature of the violence: 756 government service offices were burnt or destroyed, 27 Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit (DART) stations vandalised, over 976 government vehicles, including ambulances, destroyed, along with 1,642 private vehicles, 2,268 motorbikes, 272 houses, and 159 police stations or posts. The unrest has dented Tanzania’s long-standing reputation as a haven of peace.

Speaking during a swearing-in ceremony for ministers and deputy ministers on November 18, President Hassan warned that the October 29 chaos could undermine confidence among development partners, potentially shifting the country towards increased domestic resource mobilisation. “Previously, financing was readily available because there was trust.

What happened in our country has tainted our image, and this is likely to reduce our resource base. We must therefore use the resources we have to attract more funding so that promised projects are delivered quickly,” she said.

On November 27, 2025, the European Union adopted a resolution to suspend 156 million million (around S00 billion) in aid funds intended for Tanzania in 2026. The government, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, has since confirmed ongoing negotiations with the EU, with the final decision on the funds resting with the EU Commission. This will be President Hassan’s second address to Dar es Salaam elders, the first having been in 2021, within two months of her ascendancy to power.

Her decision to address the nation through the city’s elders signals the gravity with which the government views the election-related unrest. Historical perspective Historically, presidents have often used addresses to Dar es Salaam elders to deliver major statements defining their administrations.

Founding President Julius Nyerere, for example, declared war on Uganda on November 2, 1978, and mobilised the Tanzania People’s Defence Force to counter Idi Amin’s invasion in the presence of a similar audience. Successive presidents, including Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Benjamin Mkapa, Jakaya Kikwete and John Magufuli, continued this practice.

Mr Kikwete notably addressed Dar es Salaam elders on several occasions to calm political and social tensions. In April 2010, ahead of the general elections, he intervened to defuse a planned workers’ strike following wage and working conditions disputes, famously remarking in Kiswahili, “Akili za Mgaya changanya na zao”–literally, “Don’t regard Mgaya’s assertion as gospel truth.

” That was the time when Nicholaus Mgaya was the Secretary General for the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania and was on the forefront of the struggle for better wages and working conditions. In December 2014, Mr Kikwete used the same platform to announce the dismissal of then Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development Minister Prof Anna Tibaijuka over the Tegeta Escrow Account scandal, which led to other resignations, including former Attorney General Frederick Werema.

Similarly, Mr Magufuli spoke to Dodoma elders hours before the October 2020 elections, urging peaceful voting. Dr Paul Loisulie, a political science lecturer at the University of Dodoma, noted that it is common for presidents to communicate through elders or media editors, who are viewed as wise intermediaries.

“Elders are perceived as less argumentative and, if a matter is explained to them, they can convey it to the public effectively. In tense situations, the president must continue to find ways to deliver messages to the nation through such groups,” he said.

Thus, President Hassan’s address is a strategic move to reach citizens through a respected audience likely to facilitate understanding and acceptance of the government’s message. Additional reporting by Gadiosa Lamtey .

Dar es Salaam. A delegation from the Central Bank of Liberia is in Tanzania to learn how the government has invested in, structured and successfully overseen the operations of the agricultural development bank which has emerged as one of Africa’s strongest development finance institutions.

Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) director of Planning, Advisory and Corporate Affairs, Mr Waziri Mkani, said in a statement that Liberia currently has no agricultural development bank, and the rapid progress achieved by TADB in a relatively short period has drawn significant interest from the West African nation. “The delegation believes that TADB offers a practical and proven model from which they can draw lessons as they look to establish a similar financial institution to support agricultural growth in their home country,” he said.

According to Mr Mkani, the visit focuses on understanding how TADB has fulfilled its core mandate of providing large-scale agricultural loans to thousands of farmers while maintaining strong financial stability. “Today, TADB is not only positioning itself as a leader in agricultural development within Tanzania but also as a reference point for the African continent and beyond,” he said.

Mr Mkani added that the growing international collaboration demonstrates the bank’s role in advancing sustainable agriculture, sharing knowledge and strengthening development finance systems across the region. With its expanding impact and strategic influence, TADB continues to stand as a pillar of agricultural transformation, both domestically and in other African countries seeking to learn from Tanzania’s experience.

In recent years, the bank has hosted delegations from institutions such as the Zambia Credit Guarantee Scheme Limited, the National Savings and Credit Bank of Zambia, Colombia’s state-owned agricultural financing institution FINAGRO, and Zambia’s Ministry of Agriculture–further cementing its position as a learning hub for regional and international development institutions. In June 2024, TADB was ranked the second-best development finance institution among Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states following an assessment by the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI).

The evaluation was based on the Prudential Standards, Guidelines and Rating System (PSGRS), developed by AADFI in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB). Under this system, TADB scored an impressive 91 percent, performing strongly in governance, financial prudence and operational efficiency.

.

Dar es Salaam. Exim Bank Tanzania has signed a partnership agreement with housing builder Simba Developers Limited to expand access to residential mortgage financing and make home ownership more accessible for more Tanzanians.

The collaboration introduces flexible home-loan options under the bank’s Nyumba Yangu mortgage product, specifically tailored for customers seeking to purchase modern residential units developed by Simba Developers Ltd, the two companies said in a statement. The initiative comes amid rising demand for affordable housing finance in Tanzania’s urban and peri-urban areas, where many prospective homeowners struggle with high costs and limited access to long-term financing.

Under the weekend arrangement, Exim Bank customers can obtain mortgage facilities of up to Sh1 billion through the bank’s Personal and Preferred Banking categories, and up to Sh1.5 billion under its Elite Banking segment. The loans come with competitive and negotiable interest rates, the bank stated.

“Owning a home is one of the most significant milestones for many Tanzanians,” said Exim Bank Tanzania’s head of retail banking, Mr Andrew Lymo. “Through our partnership with Simba Developers, we are simplifying the home-buying journey by offering flexible financing options and making it easier for more Tanzanians to achieve their home-ownership dreams,” he said.

Simba Developers Ltd director Yusuf Hatimali Ezzi said the company’s residential projects were designed to provide modern, safe and comfortable living environments. “Partnering with Exim Bank ensures our buyers can access financing quickly and seamlessly, helping families move into their ideal homes with confidence,” he said.

By streamlining loan approvals and offering adaptable financing limits, the two institutions aim to set new benchmarks for accessible, high-quality residential housing in the country. It also reflects the bank’s broader commitment to supporting national development by widening access to mortgage financing and promoting the expansion of quality housing stock.

For customers, this collaboration offers quicker mortgage processing, increased loan options, and easy access to modern homes that accommodate various budgets and lifestyle preferences. .

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is experiencing unusually high temperatures this month, with several parts of the country recording heat levels up to four degrees above the long-term average, according to new data from the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA).

The spike has been most severe in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, where temperatures reached 35.7C on November 21, the highest reported so far and 4.2C above the normal November average.

Morogoro, Shinyanga, and Dar es Salaam have also recorded temperatures significantly above seasonal norms. TMA attributes the heatwave to a combination of the Sun’s Zenith position, a period where the sun passes directly overhead, and below-normal rainfall in the affected regions.

The Zenith Sun phenomenon peaks in Tanzania at the end of November as the sun moves south toward the Tropic of Capricorn and returns in February as it shifts north. “This period is naturally associated with high temperatures because the Earth’s surface is closer to the sun than at other times of the year,” TMA said in the advisory issued Thursday.

Morogoro reached 35.5C on November 20, which was 2.7C above normal.

Dar es Salaam recorded 33.2C on November 19 and 21, which was 1.6C above normal, with humidity making the conditions feel hotter than the measured temperature.

Coastal humidity, fuelled by warm ocean moisture, has pushed “feels-like” temperatures several degrees higher. In Shinyanga, the Ibadakuli station logged 33.6C on November 14, which was 2.

2C above normal, continuing a trend of abnormal heat across the Lake Zone and central regions. When asked by The Citizen, Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA)’s Manager of Forecasting Services, Dr Kantamla Mafuru, about the cause, he responded that the rainfall deficit this season is due to the presence of La Niaa conditions, which we predicted before the start of the season and which are expected to weaken towards January.

“This is compounded by sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the western Indian Ocean (along our coast) being average to below-average, compared to slightly above-average SSTs in the eastern Indian Ocean,” he said. Dr Mafuru added, “This configuration significantly reduces the amount of moist air moving from the sea inland to many parts of the country, thereby suppressing rainfall across a large number of areas nationwide, as was previously forecasted.

” Climate scientists warn that while the Zenith Sun is a natural phenomenon, the intensity and duration of heat spikes appear to be increasing, aligning with broader warming trends observed across East Africa. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) had also predicted that during November to December 2025, the entire East African region would experience warmer-than-usual conditions, expected over most parts of the region.

IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre provides climate services to East African countries, including seasonal forecasts, climate monitoring, and early warning systems. However, according to the TMA notice, relief may be coming soon.

The statement read, rainfall is expected to spread across most parts of the country in December, which should help moderate temperatures .

Arusha. The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has pushed the 8th Secretary General’s Forum to early 2026, from the originally planned dates of December 17 to 18 in Dar es Salaam, to allow for full regional preparedness.

In a notice to stakeholders, the Secretariat said “unavoidable circumstances” had forced the change. “Due to unavoidable circumstances, the 8th Secretary General’s Forum has been rescheduled to early 2026, with the new dates to be communicated in due course,” the letter reads in part.

Officials said the postponement is linked to ongoing preparations for the Ordinary Council of Ministers’ Meeting, the Infrastructure Retreat and the forthcoming Summit of EAC Heads of State. The forum, convened under the EAC’s Consultative Dialogue Framework (CDF), is one of the bloc’s key platforms for structured engagement between Partner States, civil society organisations (CSOs) and the private sector.

The CDF provides space for continuous dialogue across political, economic, social, health, cultural, legal and security sectors. Stakeholders have expressed understanding, saying the additional time could help strengthen coordination and enhance the quality of regional deliberations.

The last forum, held in Nairobi in December 2024, brought together a wide range of actors who discussed issues of trade, governance, social development and regional peace and security. Ahead of the now-postponed 2025 forum, civil society organisations had already conducted national consultations across all eight Partner States.

Executive Director of the East Africa Civil Society Forum (EACSOF), Ms Lilian Alex, said she remains confident the rescheduled forum will be more impactful. “We remain hopeful that the forum will take place in January 2026, especially considering the possibility of a transition in the office of the EAC Secretary General,” she said.

Her views were echoed by CEO of the East Africa Law Society and Chair of the Regional Dialogue Committee, Mr David Sigano. “The technical groundwork is complete.

The postponement simply gives us more time to refine our engagements,” he noted. Private-sector actors have also signalled their readiness.

Acting Executive Director of the East African Business Council (EABC), Mr Adrian Njau, said the Council stands prepared once new dates are announced. The SG’s Forum draws its mandate from Articles 127(4) and 129(2) of the EAC Treaty, which require institutionalised participation of private sector bodies, CSOs and professional associations in shaping Community policies.

These provisions are operationalised through the CDF. .