Arusha: There are 10 greatest obstacles denying the Tanzania’s tourism
players to benefit from the East African community’s Common Market Protocol
(EAC-CMP), says a new study.
A fresh study on the “Assessment of the progressive implementation of the
EAC-CMP in relation to Tanzania’s tourism sector” cited an existence of
varying licensing and regulatory and administrative regimes within the EAC
partner states as one of the obstacle.
The report by the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture,
Arusha Region (TCCIA-Arusha) with the financial support from the Business
Environment Strengthening for Tanzania Program – Advocacy Component
(BEST-AC), was unveiled in Arusha yesterday.
Conducted by the Dar Es Salaam Consultancy firm – Sokaninda Resources
Limited, the research also highlighted failure by EAC Partner States to
take action to improve their countries travel and tourism competitive
factors (TTCF) as among the ten hitches.
Others include the existence of non-tariff barriers (NTBs); weak
functioning of the EAC Customs Union (EACCU); lack of knowledge by most
citizens – both Tanzania’s Tourism Value Chain (TVC) and non-TVC players
-regarding the EACCMP and the EAC integration process as whole.
Lack of a single tourist visa for all member states; failure by partner
state governments to gazette some of the EAC-CMP decisions and inadequate –
poor facilities and infrastructure for cross border movements were also in
the list of limitations.
Gaps in institutional infrastructure and EAC’s Partner States’ governments’
slow pace of harmonising regulations relevant to the EAC-CMP were also
identified as the hurdles.
The TCCIA –Arusha/BEST AC report suggests some strategies to address the
issues considered as the hindrances in the implementation of EAC-CMP at
both the national and the EAC secretariat level.
“Private sector in Tanzania should work with BEST-AC in developing a
culture of evidence based research relating to their industry issues in
relation to EAC-CMP,” the study suggests.
The report also proposes the tourism players to work with Members of
Parliament in lobbying the government with evidence-based cases so that it
can review the tourism policy, tourism Act, and regulations to be more
conducive for growth.
In the list of proposals include to putting on hold the operationalization
of the article in the Finance Actof 2011 that gives power the Local
Government Authorities (LGAs) to fix levies on tourist activities in their
areas until a study is conducted to understand its impact on the tourism
industry.
The study highlights the importance to ensure all tourism industry related
regulations, prior to their taking legal effect, are subjected to the
principles of good regulation developed by better regulation unit under
Prime Minister’s Office in coordination with relevant tourism industry
trade associations – like Tanzania Association of Tourism Organization
(TATO), Hotel Association in Tanzania (HAT) and Tanzania Confederation of
Tourism (TCT).
Strategies to tackle the EAC regional impediments include the development
of cooperation amongst Tanzania tourism industry trade associations,
forging working relationships or cooperation amongst EAC TVC Industry
Associations.
According to the report also underlined the importance of the private
sector to work with Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)
and national Members of Parliaments.
The findings strongly proposed the private sector to put in place a
mechanism for engaging the government so as to improve the country’s TVC
competitiveness.
“Private sector should set up a mechanism for assuring effective
disseminating information amongst TVC players or stakeholders and the
Chamber so as to remove, amongst other things, their equivocal attitudes on
the EAC-CMP implementation” reads the report.
The study further suggests that there was a need to ensure that
government’s accelerates the pace of carrying out reforms in not only the
country’s TVC but also other sectors in line with the provisions of the
EAC-CMP.
BEST-AC Programme Officer, Asha Mbogoro said they have supported
TCCIA-Arusha’s initiative to study and come up with the facts and figures
on the matter’s affect the private sector in Tanzania in the implementation
of EAC-CMP.
“Why TCCIA-Arusha, it is simply because they organization is based in the
both border posts and more importantly in the sit of EAC headquarters where
the regional issues are discussed and approved” Ms Mbogoro noted.