Recently at Dar es Salaam’s Hyatt Hotel, January Makamba, the CCM member of parliament for Bumbuli and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Minerals was invited to speak at the monthly gathering of the influential CEO’s Roundtable. After thanking his hosts for the invitation – he called the forum’s Chairman Ali Mufuruki [...]
Serengeti Advisers’ Financial Monthly – July 2011
August 19, 2011
Karibu to the first issue of our new e-newsletter, Financial Monthly! We highlight some trends in Tanzania’s banking sector as revealed by newspapers between April and July 2011. We also notice that the share of non-performing loans to total loans has deteriorated from 7.5% in January 2006 to just under 9% in December 2010. We [...]
David Jairo and the Plight of the Permanent Secretary
July 20, 2011
The Ministry of Energy and Minerals is the Afghanistan of Tanzania politics. A dangerous and desperate hinterland where Ministers and Civil Servants are sent to valiantly die in an important war that seemingly cannot be won. And so when at the end of 2009, David Jairo was handed the chalice that had poisoned his [...]
‘Rostam Quits’
July 18, 2011
“After consulting with my family, friends and my business partners, I arrived at the decision to step down, with the intention of maintaining my respect and integrity among party members and other wananchi as well as my leaders who I believe after my resignation will get an opportunity to focus on other challenges facing the [...]
On the Media and Zitto Kabwe’s Budget
June 24, 2011
This is the most important budget season in half a decade. For the Kikwete administration, despite winning re-election with 61% of the vote, the campaign was, nevertheless, a bruising experience. Post-election, Mr. Kikwete, in the words of one commentator, has looked tired and unfocused. The budget debate offered an opportunity for him to pivot away from his political [...]