DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA— CEED Tanzania in partnership with Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), delivered a presentation on Friday, 18 August, 2017 to 26 SME entrepreneurs to highlight key portions of the 2017/18 National Budget of Government of Tanzania. The participants were given the opportunity to learn from PwC, a leading global accounting and auditing firm, on the national budget process in Tanzania, business and taxation compliance and the related policies to doing business and developing the economy of Tanzania.
Through these types of events and partnerships, as well as a membership network platform, CEED is supporting a community of Tanzanian SME entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills and networks to build competitive industries that have the potential to accelerate economic prosperity. CEED is a program of the Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF), a global impact investment manager with more than 25 years of experience in emerging and frontier markets.
Key areas that were discussed at this event include the business environment, revenue collection, budgeting process, and other tax and policy changes based on the 2017 Finance Act. The keynote presentation was jointly delivered by two PwC tax and policy experts, Mr. Joseph Lyimo, partner, and, Ms. Jonia Kashalaba, manager. Mr. Leonard Mususa, a former country lead for PwC and business executive, gave the opening remarks at the event. Mr. Mususa has more than 35 years of experience working with a diverse portfolio of top tier companies with extensive experience in energy and mining, banking, agriculture, telecommunications and manufacturing.
CEED’s Executive Director, Mr. Atiba Amalile said that he was “pleased that SME entrepreneurs had this unique opportunity to learn from such a respectable firm about the national budget and how it could affect their business and the country”.
As Tanzania continues to gain momentum towards building a semi-industrial economy, SME entrepreneurs will be crucial stakeholders in achieving the country’s growth objectives as outlined in the government’s Vison 2025 strategy. To that end, CEED provides critical technical assistance and market linkages to SMEs that require additional training and capacity development to become investment ready. Globally, CEED programs are utilized as a vehicle to attract SMEs that are seeking to become more competitive and scale their operations.
Funding for SEAF and CEED in Tanzania is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Food for Progress program. The Food for Progress program helps developing countries and emerging democracies modernize and strengthen their agricultural sectors. The program has two principal objectives: to improve agricultural productivity and to expand trade of agricultural products. Additional support for CEED is also provided by the Argidius Foundation.
The event was open to the public. CEED Tanzania membership is open to companies registered in Tanzania. Current CEED Tanzania members are from across Tanzania, including Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, and Arusha. For more information, contact Meab Mdimi at mmdimi@seaf.com or 0754-676-220.
