TANZANIA – The government of Tanzania and the World Bank have signed two concessional loan agreements worth US$650 million for the improvement of education and land administration systems.
According to Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Finance and Planning, Mr Emmanuel Tutuba, US$500 million will be spent on the ‘Boost Primary Student Learning Project,’ while the remaining amount will go to the Land Tenure Improvement Project (LTIP).
Mr Tutuba said the five-year projects were in line with the Third National Five-Year Development Plan (2021/22–2025/26) that seeks to build a competitive and industrial economy for human development through various interventions.
The interventions include improving and incorporating inclusive teaching and learning environment in the pre-primary and primary level, improving teachers’ competency, and promoting and supporting the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning.
Others are surveying and titling of land parcels for investment and human settlement; upgrading and scaling-up an integrated land management information system, and promoting the use of ICT in land surveying and titling.
“It is worth noting that the Boost Project intends to improve equitable access to quality learning in pre-primary and primary education in Mainland Tanzania,” Mr Tutuba noted.
The permanent secretary went on to explain that successful implementation of the project will result in an enormous impact on the education sector including construction of 12,000 classrooms with their associated facilities.
It would also enhance the rolling-out of ICT packages to 800 hub-schools and/or teacher resource centres, as well as increase the pre-primary and primary gross enrolment ratio.
On the other hand, the LTIP has the objective of strengthening the national land administration system and increasing tenure security in selected areas for both men and women.
The project is expected to benefit the country through increased tenure security to 40 selected districts by issuance of Certificates of Customary Right of Occupancy (CCROs), Certificates of Right of Occupancy (CROs) and Residential Licences.
The loans agreements will boost the existing World Bank’s portfolio for national Projects in Tanzania to US$6.15 billion.
World Bank country director Mara Warwick said the two projects, whose idea was conceptualised in 2016 by Tanzanian experts, were approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors in December 2021.
“The World Bank is committed to improving basic education and strengthening land tenure for all Tanzanians. We are proud to be supporting Tanzania in these important programmes,” Ms Warwick explained.
She also said that the Boost Project would help to directly address constraints in the education sector by making Tanzania primary schools safer, more inclusive and child-friendly.
Over 12 million children in Mainland Tanzania were expected to benefit from it.
On the other hand, she said, the LTIP would increase tenure security for at least two million land holders, users, and their families.
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