Tanzania c/a deficit widens 3.9 pct in yr to June

[Mimibaba]

By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala
DAR ES SALAAM, Aug 16 (Reuters) – Tanzania's current account deficit widened 3.9 percent to $2.63 billion in the year to June due mainly to a rise in imports of oil and consumer goods, the central bank said on Monday. Imports of goods and services jumped 8.9 percent to $8.27 billion in the period, the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) said in its monthly economic review for June. "The value of goods imported increased … largely due to a rise in the value of imported oil, food stuffs, fertilisers and other consumer goods," the bank said.

The value of imported oil increased to $1.9 billion compared to $1.4 billion in the preceding year, it said.
During the period in question, the country bought 3.4 million tons of oil, compared with 2.7 million tons a year before.

The east African economy's goods and services exports jumped 15.2 percent in June from a year earlier to $5.09 billion, with gold exports surging 67.4 percent to $1.38 billion.
Tanzania is Africa's third-largest gold producer. Gold continued to outstrip tourism as Tanzania's biggest foreign exchange earner, making up 44.1 percent of exports, while manufactured goods made up 20.7 percent, the bank said.
Tourism - categorised as travel - generated $1.23 billion, up from $1.16 billion a year before. The industry has traditionally been Tanzania's leading source of foreign exchange before being overtaken by gold in recent months.
Traditional exports - tea, coffee, cashew nuts and tobacco, among others – earned $451.9 million, down 8 percent over the previous year, due to a decline in export volumes and a fall in cotton prices. Tanzania's economy is largely driven by mining, farming and tourism. But sectors such as manufacturing, Telecommunications and financial services have been growing in recent years and contributing more.
The central bank said bank credit to the private sector rose 14.1 percent in the year to June, compared with a 32.8 percent increase a year before.

The bank said official gross reserves rose to $3.48 billion at the end of June - or 5.5 months of import cover - from $2.93 billion at end June 2009, boosted partly by funds from the International Monetary Fund's Exogenous Shocks Facility. The central bank aims for the country to have no less than five months of import cover. (Editing by George Obulutsa and Susan Fenton) (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: Reuters.com) Keywords: TANZANIA ECONOMY/
(Email: nairobi.newsroom@reuters.com.

Haya wana jamii mambo ya uchumi hayo. Maisha bora yatawezekanaje kwenye hali hii?

 

[kisu]

Sasa kamishen ya 3% ya Gold export ndiyo yalete maisha bora? Chagua Slaa 2010.

 

[PatPending]

BoT wamekuwa wanajua hili suala kwa muda sasa na ndio maana uamuzi wao wa kuiachia shilingi ianguke kwa muda sasa unaleta maana. Kazi kwetu wabongo kutumia fursa hii kuweka mambo sawa

 

[Nsololi]

Ndugu PatPending kwa kuwa nchi yetu ya TZ tuna import zaidi kuliko kuexport, so kuanguka kwa Tshs against USD inasabisha kupanda sana kwa bei za bidhaa zinazouzwa nchinni ambazo zimekuwa imported. kwa hiyo na kuongeza ugumu wa maisha kwa wananchi.

 

[PatPending]

Ndugu PatPending kwa kuwa nchi yetu ya TZ tuna import zaidi kuliko kuexport, so kuanguka kwa Tshs against USD inasabisha kupanda sana kwa bei za bidhaa zinazouzwa nchinni ambazo zimekuwa imported. kwa hiyo na kuongeza ugumu wa maisha kwa wananchi.

Ndugu Nsololi, dhumuni hasa la BoT kuachia shilingi ianguke ni kuwasaidia kurudisha uwiano katika mizania ya current account ya nchi. Ni kweli tunafahamu kwamba tuko mbali sana kupata uwiano kamili baina ya imports na exports ila kwa wakati huu hususani wa kampeni bei na kiasi ambacho mkulima anaweza kuuza mazao yake ni muhimu sana kwa serikali iliyo madarakani. Ukiangalia kwa undani uagizaji wa mafuta umechangia kwa kiasi kikubwa kupanda kwa thamani ya vitu toka nje na je ni wangapi wanaoumia hasa katika hili? Wapo EWURA na SUMATRA kulibania soko lisiwe huru ili mwananchi asilipe gharama halisi ya shilingi kuwa dhaifu na pia kwenye pembejeo wapo mawakala wa serikali na ruzuku kufanya vitu hivyo hivyo.

Uamuzi wa BoT hautulengi sisi wa mijini ambao tayari tuna ahueni ya maisha, unalenga zaidi wale walio wengi ambao ni wanaojishughulisha na kilimo.