Brussels, 03/08/2009 (Agence Europe) - €385 million. That is the amount of the cooperation programme that Tanzania can count on for 2009 - the country's biggest ever EU cooperation programme. The European Commission announced on Monday 3 August that it had approved the Annual Action Programme 2009, which will focus on enhanced budget support (€305 million), infrastructure development (€70 million), with €8 million also going to developing renewable energy.
“This substantial financial commitment demonstrates our confidence in the Tanzanian Government to aggressively tackle the economic challenges ahead, and to put good governance, accountability and the fight against corruption at the centre of their agenda,” said Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Karel De Gucht.
The general budget support will be provided through a “Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Contract”. The MDG-Contract is a predictable financial commitment over a 6 year period - twice as long as usual budget support agreements - aligned with the country's procedures and policy priorities focussing on MDG-related results. Tanzania is one of a small group of African countries (Zambia, Mozambique, Mali, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Rwanda are the others) to benefit from this unique form of cooperation that is funded through the European Development Fund (EDF).
The support for infrastructure will finance a Road Transport Sector Policy Programme.
The €8 million renewable energy will support an area where progress is urgently needed. In Tanzania only 10% of the population has access to electricity and the use of fuel, wood and charcoal for domestic purposes causes serious health and environmental problems, the Commission says. (A.N./transl.rt)