Stakeholders setting ground for service sectors platform

Stakeholders from the Tanzanian services sector have identified the need for putting in place a services platform to coordinate and represent the interests of the services sector, both nationally and regionally.

To push the agenda, the Tanzanian Private Sector Foundation (TSPF) with support from the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) held a Consultative meeting of Representatives and Heads of Services Sector Associations in Tanzania, late last week in Dar es Salaam.

The meeting sought to ensure a conducive regulatory and enabling environment is in place, as well as to engage and participate effectively in consultations for negotiations affecting the sector, both at the level of the EAC and SADC and with other parties.
 
On this premise an ad hoc interim steering committee was established in 2013 to look into ways of establishing such a platform. With support from GIZ, the interim steering committee organised the consultative meeting to assess the current state of how the services sector in Tanzania is organised and represented.

During the meeting, it was concluded that there is currently no formal organisation of the services sector except at the level of sector associations.

The meeting recommended the need to establish a services platform under the Tanzanian Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) to be able to leverage on the recognition, networks and influence of TPSF as the apex private sector body in Tanzania. 

The meeting also considered some preliminary strategic issues on how to operationalise the platform. Among these were the proposed mission and vision of the platform and the need to hold a stakeholders meeting of representatives and heads of services sectors associations to agree on the structure of the platform.

The workshop discussed the Tanzania Services Sector Platform’s future through a shared vision and mission, explored the trends and opportunities and identified key strategic options to guide the functioning of the platform and its steering structure as well as the development of a strategic work plan for the platform.

The meeting brought together representatives of heads of services associations in Tanzania, some key private sector players, and representatives from the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of East African Affairs.