ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF TANZANIA (ALAT)
– KAGERA BRANCH
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| An over view of Bukoba from Forum venue |
P.O.
Box 491,
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Bukoba,
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TANZANIA, EAST AFRICA.
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Website:
www.alat.or.tz
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AN OUTLINE OF THE 2012 ANNUAL FORUM AND EXHIBITIONS OF
ALAT KAGERA BRANCH TO BE HELD AT KOLPING HOTEL IN BUKOBA
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The Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania -ALAT Kagera Branch is organizing its 2012 Annual Forum and Exhibitions in Bukoba from the 6th to 8th June, 2012. The event will have a regional outlook as it brings together all eight district councils. We wish to extend an invitation to organizations/ institutions both public and private, to partner with us through event sponsorship and in return access various branding avenues that come with sponsorship. There are various sponsorship levels with different benefit packages. |
Based on geographical location significance of Kagera
region in the East African Community, ALAT Kagera extended an invitation to
Ambassador Dr. Richard Sezibera, the Secretary General for East African
Community (EAC) to grace the Opening Ceremonies as the Guest of Honor. Kagera
region borders with Rwanda and Burundi to the West and south West, and Uganda
to the North and in an imaginary way with Kenya to the North East. Hence,
Kagera region is the “True hub of East African Community”. It is more than
pleasing that we have been informed by the Ministry for East African
Cooperation of Tanzania that the Secretary General has gladly accepted the
invitation.
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More importantly, Kagera region is within the Lake
Victoria Basin, which is East African Community common resource shared by all
member states. Lake Victoria Basin is the most populous region in the EAC and
has vast amount of natural resources and thus declared by EAC member states
as its economic growth zone. Presently, there are considerable efforts
carried out through Lake Vitoria Basin Commission (LVBC), which is a
specialized institution of the EAC to market various investment projects
within Lake Victoria Basin. Therefore, Kagera region qualifies to be the
epicenter of such initiatives and stands to benefit from such projects.
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ALAT Kagera and its members, like all other Local
Government Authorities in Tanzania, are mandated by the central Government to
deliver socio and economic development to their respective communities. We
have satisfied ourselves Kagera region holds a lot of potential given its
geographical positioning in the East African Community. Bukoba Municipality
and Kagera region as a whole holds great potential for Tanzania to
participate in the EAC – Common Market.
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Kagera region communities, share customs and
traditions with communities across borders with its neighboring countries,
hence Kagera region is ideally situated to play a significant role in the
integration process. As such ALAT Kagera branch has decided to make the theme
of this Forum to revolve around EAC – Common Market with its socio and
economic benefits to the general public. The theme of the event will be:
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“Mkoa wa Kagera ndio kiunganishi cha nchi za Jumuiya
ya Afrika Mashariki; Tuzitambue fursa za Soko la Pamoja ili tuzichangamkie”.
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The ALAT event will afford an opportunity for EAC to
begin direct interaction with Local Government Authorities in Kagera region
which will in essence be the beginning of bringing EAC objectives and
activities much closer to the general public, which is the prime objective of
EAC. The event among others will bring together the following:
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-8 Ministers from GoT -9 Regional Commissioners -7
Permanent Secretaries from GoT-7 District Commissioners
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-All Members of Parliament from Kagera -ALAT
Chairperson of all districts in LVB -Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC)
-Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) -Financial Institutions, with
emphasis to Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB), all pension funds, Unit Trust of
Tanzania and all banks with branches in Kagera region such as NMB, NBC Ltd.,
and Tanzania Postal Bank -Developers of real estates in particular National
Housing Corporation (NHC)
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Target GoT ministries for their relevance to what we want to
achieve are
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East African Community Cooperation; Prime Minister’s Office Local
Governments and Regional Administration; Industries and Trade; Agriculture,
Food Security and Markets; Economic Empowerment; Natural Resources and
Tourism; Lands and Human Settlements;
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Government
Institutions
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Tanzania Investment Center; Tanzania Airports Authority; Tanzania
Tourist Board; and Tanzania National Parks.
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Regional Commissioners and RAS’s to be invited are from regions
bordering EAC member states and those regions in the Lake Tanganyika Basin
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Mwanza; Mara; Shinyanga; Kigoma; Rukwa; Katavi (new) Geita (new);
Simiyu (new); Arusha; Kilimanjaro; and Tanga.
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2012 ALAT Forum, papers/ presentations on following topics will be
made and discussed
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1. Kagera region economic profile and its potential to be
presented by the RC’s office;
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2. The East African Community Integration and
Common market explained in simple terms by EAC Secretariat;
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3. Kagera regional potential and challenges in
agriculture to be presented by the Ministry of Agriculture; 4.Kagera regional
potential and challenges in cross border trading with neighboring countries
in EAC to be presented by the Ministry of Industries Trade and Markets
5.Kagera regional potential and challenges in fishing in the Lake Victoria
and fish farming to be presented by the ministry of livestock and fisheries;
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6. Kagera regional potential and challenges in
the service economy, specifically tourism to be presented by the ministry of
natural resources and tourism; and
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7. The importance of culture and sports promotion
as catalysts for integration through enhancing socio cohesion and the sense
of belonging.
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Of course, Kagera region has great potential in many other sectors
of the economy, all which we would have liked to be presented. To be
realistic to exhaustively discuss even the six papers in three days is
already too much! Let us take this as just the beginning. There will be other
forums/ conferences to discuss those other sectors in the near future.
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The game plan is to identify capable
personalities with broad knowledge and who share the positive vision for the
East African Community integration agenda. This will help to focus the
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deliberations
to logical resolutions that will shape a sustainable way forward. Organizers
have not lost sight of the program sustainability, therefore, you don’t have
to worry, and it is not going to be a one off event! It is envisaged to form
a Committee on Public Private Sector Partnership (PPP) basis that will
comprise not less than 5 members from the private sector and 4 members from
the public sector. The Committee will be charged with the responsibility of
following up and implementation on all resolutions to be passed at the forum
and will have a time table to meet regularly, at least once every three
months. The Chairmanship will be a reserve of the private sector, while the
Secretary of the Committee will come from the public sector and to be
specific from the Regional Commissioners’ office.
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The event is intended to be the first of its kind that will kick
start the strategy of promoting Bukoba as an ideal conference/meeting
destination, therefore attracting conference tourism. Stimulating conference/
meeting tourism will go a long way to stimulating other economic sectors.
Tourism is renowned for its forward and backwards economic linkages. We
appreciate some gaps in our capacity to organize conferences/ meetings in
Bukoba given available facilities, but we just can’t wait until we have world
class facilities. We have to start promoting Bukoba based on what we
presently have, which will provide us with realities in terms facts and
figures of what are the gaps. On the other hand it is such facts and figures
that attract investors to a place. Bukoba Municipality has the potential to
stimulate the transient economy. The larger trickle down effects/benefits
will be far reaching to the general public, business communities, the region
and national economy at large.
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Kagera region has enormous tourist attractions and the potential
to become the four dimension (4D) tourist circuit that can easily stimulate
the entry of tourists from neighboring countries to connect on to Mwanza by
road, on to Serengeti and to the rest of the Northern circuit. The
stimulation of tourism in Kagera region which will join to Mwanza and on to
Serengeti to the northern circuit will have great benefits to the whole
industry. The initiative will significantly contribute towards the goal of
reaching the 1million tourists arrival, hence the relevance of your
attendance. Tourism is known for its power of stimulating other sectors of
the economy though backwards and forward economic linkages, which means more
investments, more jobs created and therefore a contribution towards poverty
reduction in a sustainable way.
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We have organized the 2012 ALAT Kagera Forum and Exhibitions in
partnership with our stakeholders. 80% of local authorities’ budgets who are
ALAT members are spent on procurement of various goods and services mostly
from the private sector, therefore the private sector are the most
beneficiary and biggest stakeholder to ALAT. It is for this important reason
that this forum offers a great opportunity to businesses to partner with us
through sponsorship, which will in turn give them opportunities to access
enormous branding opportunities that come with sponsorship. What we know for
sure this event will raise some emotions among the Kagera communities,
therefore a rare opportunity to corporate that have been operating in that
market to consolidate their positions by partnering to this event as a
Corporate Social Responsibility function. For these reasons, partners to this
annual event are likely to benefit from enhanced brand equity and royalty in
a sustainable manner.
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About the host town, Bukoba
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Bukoba has since been re-connected to the rest of the country,
neighboring countries in the EAC through a good road network, air transport
as well as to the rest of the world via fast internet connection. The fiber
optic cable (FOC) has been laid in the region. Bukoba being only 1 degree
South of the Equator, enjoys a good equatorial weather, not too cold but
never warm, you would hardly sleep without the need of a blanket. Of course,
during months of March to July and September to December, a jacket is
necessary. Bukoba people are nice, warm and quite welcoming. Despite all
power woes in Tanzania, the only place that enjoys un-interrupted power
supply is Bukoba since it is supplied with power from Uganda. Bukoba has
plenty of portable water, fresh food and fish. While in Bukoba, never miss
the chance to sample among many, the Haya delicacy “senene”. If there
is a town that enjoys very low crime rate is Bukoba. Bukoba is among such
amazing places to visit, live, invest and do business.
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Above all Kagera has quite a rich heritage which is rooted in the
Chiefdoms across the region in every district. Chiefdoms existed for five
centuries and Chiefs lived in elaborate palaces. Following the abolishment of
Chiefdom by the government in the late 60s, those palaces have become ruins.
Traditions are still maintained, though diluted by modernity as an effect of
globalization. With beautiful scenes on terrains covered by green all year
round, there is obvious a lot to experience in Bukoba.
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ALAT Kagera is therefore encouraging everyone that will receive
the invitation not to miss the chance of being in Bukoba this time round.
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We are anxiously looking forward to welcoming you in Bukoba!
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For us to be able to stage an event of this stature, ALAT Kagera,
decided to contract a firm that has expertise and experience. Therefore, we
contracted M/S Vision Investments of Dar es Salaam, the same firm that
successfully organized and managed the 27th ALAT Annual General Meeting at
Kunduchi Beach Hotel in Dar es Salaam. All those who wish to become partners,
should feel free to contact our Event Managers on the following address:
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The Managing Director, Vision Investments Plot 56, Mazengo Street,
Oyster Bay
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P.O. Box 79896, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. t.: +255 22 2664283
Fax:+255 22 2771265 c.: +255 754 280 491 / 784 280 491 w.: www.vision.co.tz /
e.: info@vision.co.tz Twitter:@vision847
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