STAKEHOLDERS URGED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHINESE INVESTMENT IN AFRICA

The Tanzania Grassroots Oriented Development (TAGRODE), Executive Director Zubery Mwachulla has appealed to stakeholders in the country and Africa in general to take advantage of Chinese investments, as a growing economy, China needs African energy, resources and access to African markets.

He made the pronouncement recently on behalf of TAGRODE, nongovernmental organization based in Iringa, when was conducting training to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the opportunities and recommendations of FOCAC in the context of Tanzania held in Iringa Town.

Mwachulla said through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Tanzania and African continent as whole should benefit from mutual cooperation.

He said Chinese construction companies are able to overcome difficulties and deliver roads and bridges on budgets that cannot be matched by Western or even local companies, adding that Chinese companies, however, do not always get it right. 

“Chinese firms, backed by the powerful and deep-pocketed Chinese state, will not mop-up Africa’s business opportunities to the disadvantage of Western and indigenous firms,” he said.

However, the government has been advised to create a national platform for Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) development which will act as a national strategic arm for available opportunities.

TAGRODE Executive Director, Zubery Mwachulla said that it is important for the government to establish the forum that will monitor FOCAC deliberations on the implantation of the Johannesburg Summit and the 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Johannesburg from 3 to 5 December 2015. 

Recently, Heads of State and Government, Heads of Delegation, the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers in charge of economic cooperation from China and 50 African countries (hereafter referred to as "the two sides") attended the Summit and Ministerial Conference respectively.

He said the summit came up FOCAC Action Plan 2016-2018, and following were areas of cooperation between Africa and China, including Economic Cooperation, Social development cooperation, Cultural cooperation and people to people exchanges, Security cooperation and International cooperation.

Mwachulla said the national forum should include also the Non-State actors, including CSOs, can help provide on-the-ground insights and information to support and enhance the quality and implementation. 

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was establishment in the year 2000.

Since then the forum has enhanced economic cooperation, common development and cultural exchanges between China and Africa. 

The Africa’s economies have grown considerably in the past decade, and China has contributed through FOCAC by facilitating trade, investments, aid and development into the region.

Despite shortcomings of Chinese firms that engage in poor labor and environmental practices and the competition they bring to indigenous companies, growing Chinese investments, so long as Africa grasps the opportunity, will provide a net positive gain for African economies and people in the coming decades