Doing business in Tanzania: updates regarding COVID-19

Nieuwsbericht | 08-06-2020 | 13:28

Update 8 June 2020

• The Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) intends to conduct an economic analysis of the impacts of the Coronavirus to businesses addressing policy and legal challenges – Link. 

• Cargo options out of Tanzania – In addition to Ethiopian Airways which has been uplifting horticulture produce from Kilimanjaro Int Airport on Monday and Friday every week, KLM has also resumed its operations and is now uplifting cargo from Julius Nyerere Int Airport on Wednesday and Sunday every week. Ethiopian and Qatar airlines are to resume Dar es Salaam passenger flights effective from 6 June 2020 - Link.

• Tanzania closes reopened border with Kenya over corona virus tests disagreement (link for more information). This article in the EastAfrican highlights how the closure of the border between Tanzania and Kenya has hit the Tanzania horticulture sector risking a disruption of the supply chain of fresh produce.

• Bank of Tanzania merged Tanzania Investment Bank with Tanzania Postal Bank. See the article in The Guardian.

• Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade Eng. Manyanya has directed that all fish processing industries in the country must ensure that all fish packages are labelled with the Tanzania mark before they are shipped out of the country – Link.

• The government of Tanzania has launched an online crop marketing tool to unite farmers, traders and buyers. The Tanzanian Minister for Agriculture said the portal will also be used for education on extension services - Link.

COVID-19 in Tanzania

The Tanzanian Ministry of Health is the main source of information regarding COVID-19 in Tanzania. Information is shared by the Ministry of Health via their website and occasionally on their twitter account. Check their website and social media for any updates.

Further information and useful links

The embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tanzania has carefully compiled a COVID-19 economic update on the expected impact of the pandemic and measures in place. This update serves to enable Dutch businesses with general information and multiple web links to make better-informed decisions. You can find the update created by the Netherlands Embassy here.

In addition to this economic update we would like to provide an overview of useful websites based on the type of questions we receive. In case you have suggestions for useful additions to this list, kindly share them with us by sending us an email: dar-lnv@minbuza.nl.

• For Dutch entrepreneurs that are doing business in African countries, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency made an overview of frequently asked questions about COVID-19 in Africa in Dutch.
• The Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency published an overview of measures to help Dutch businesses that are affected by COVID-19 here.
• The European Commission’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic includes a number of restrictions to transport, which can be found on the website of the European Commission.
• Find out what the European Union in Tanzania is doing in response to COVID-19 on their twitter account.
• The Tanzania Investment Centre has executed a COVID-19 economic impact assessment survey on investments. The survey can be found here. As soon as the results are published, we will share them on this page.
• Kindly find the press statement issued by the Bank of Tanzania, to approve policy measures to cushion the economy from effect of COVID-19 here.
• The World Food Programme published a factsheet on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on food security. Kindly find the factsheet here.
• The Ministry of Agriculture of Tanzania has directed foreign firms to buy produce through auctions and authorised local markets. For more information check: bit.ly/2ZmtnCQ

Events

Due to the COVID-19, many of the upcoming (agriculture) events have been rescheduled. As soon as new dates have been confirmed we will share them in our agenda

On 29 April the Netherlands Embassy in Tanzania organized a webinar on Covid-19 implications for Dutch businesses in Tanzania, you can find the recorded webinar here. If you are interested to join more Embassy webinars then kindly register by sending an email to dar-ea@minbuza.nl.

COVID-19 in the Netherlands

For questions regarding travel restriction for the Netherlands, travelling abroad and visas, have a look at information from the Netherlands government here. More general information about COVID-19 in the Netherlands can be found here.

Travel advice Tanzania

Find here the latest travel advice for Tanzania, in Dutch. Frequently asked questions in relation to the travel advice can be found on this website. 

Factsheet doing business in Tanzania

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tanzania also developed a factsheet providing general guidance on doing business in Tanzania. You can find this factsheet with (non COVID-19 related) tips here.

Important note: Owing to changing nature of the COVID pandemic, the current situation and government measures in place are continuously evolving. Please continue to update yourself on the current state of affairs, including by verifying information with the relevant business associations or your local partner.

Together we will get through these tough times. Stay safe.

Questions for the agriculture department can be addressed directly to dar-lnv@minbuza.nl. Questions on general trade can be direct to dar-ea@minbuza.nl. This website links to the general contact information of the Netherlands Embassy in Dar es Salaam.
For the latest updates follow the agriculture department on twitter via @NLAgriTanzania and the Netherlands Embassy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.