New system to allow investors to register companies – and, progressively,
to obtain investment certificates, work permits and tax exemptions on-line.
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MAIN stakeholders who are directly involved in the startup of company
procedures have been urged to strengthen cooperation and make sure that the
Tanzania Investment Window Project helps the country improve in the
international business environment rankings next year.
The Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Florens Turuka, told
journalists during a CEO Roundtable (CEOrt) meeting in Dar es Salaam
recently that the authorities should work together to implement the crucial
project before the end of May so that its drastic innovations can be
included in next year’s international business environment rankings.
Financed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the ONE-UN
Programme, the project focuses on on-line company creation, and follows the
clarification and simplification of procedures undertaken in 2012 and 2013
by the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), with United Nations Conference on
Trade & Development (UNCTAD) assistance and One-UN funding.
The system was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda in
Guangzhou, China, last October.
It will allow investors to register companies – and, progressively, to
obtain investment certificates, work permits and tax exemptions on-line.
Dr. Turuka mentioned some of the authorities that need to closely work
together and make the project a success as the Business Registration &
Licensing Agency (BReLA), the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), the
Ministry of Trade, the Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA), the
Municipality of Dar es Salaam and TIC.
“I invite the main stakeholders to appoint a high level representative with
the authority to oversee the rapid implementation of technical solutions to
simplify and automate procedures,” he explained, adding that they will form
a Task Force which will meet every month to solve urgent problems, as well
as decide on measures to simplify and automate procedures.
Dr. Turuka said most of the problems are not technical in nature, and can
merely be solved by working together so as to better achieve a common
result.
“This project will be a major demonstration of the Tanzania Administration
to work and deliver as one,” he said.
He noted that the Tanzania Investment Window is a top priority project for
the prime minister, who has requested to be kept informed of progress until
the system is successfully implemented.
Dr. Turuka thanked all the stakeholders for their active participation over
the past year in providing all the information on investment-related
procedures.
Thirty procedures are now fully transparent and can easily be accessed
through TIC’s new website in more than 70 languages.
He said the information provided has proven very useful to investors
because, now every week, more than 1,000 business people from all over the
world visit the website, and the number keeps growing!
He thanked UNDP and the One-UN Fund for their financial support, and UNCTAD
for its invaluable technical assistance in helping the government set up
the project.
Dr. Turuka said the private sector wants and expects simplicity; and that
this means offering the ability to do operations on-line.
“The Tanzania Investment Window system will do just that,” he said, adding
that the system will eventually allow the user to start a company on-line
and, later, to obtain all investment incentives with just a few mouse
clicks, wherever the investor is based in the world!
Tanzania’s position in the ‘Doing Business report deteriorated nine spots
this year. The country now ranks 145 out of the 189 economies surveyed.
In the ‘Starting a Business’ indicator, Tanzania lost four spots simply
because there were no improvements recorded while other competing countries
improved their procedures. Today, it takes nine procedures to start a
company, according to the Doing Business methodology.
He also said that, apart from rankings, important barriers to investment
in Tanzania will be removed – thus spurring investment, entrepreneurship
and jobs creation.