Tanzania supports World Bank strategy to help countries create job for young people

BANGKOK: THE Minister for Finance, Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar, has said Tanzania supports a special World Bank strategy to help member countries develop plans and projects that create employment opportunities, particularly for young people, and strengthen the private sector to accelerate economic development.

Ambassador Omar made the remarks in Bangkok during a meeting of the World Bank’s Africa Group I constituency, held on the sidelines of the ongoing Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

He said employment remained a top priority for Tanzania and Africa as a whole, given the continent’s large population, much of which comprises children and young people who need access to education, skills development and job opportunities to participate fully in economic growth.

He noted that the government would continue investing in education and skills development to equip young people for employment and self-employment. He also stressed the need to expand job opportunities in sectors with significant employment-generation potential, including agriculture, mining and mineral processing, and tourism.

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Ambassador Omar further emphasised the importance of ensuring that major development projects implemented in Tanzania provide opportunities for the private sector, particularly domestic investors, to participate in their implementation and benefit from the resulting economic opportunities.

Presenting a report on the implementation of the World Bank’s mandate, Executive Director of the institution’s Africa Group I constituency, Dr Zarau Wendeline Kibwe, urged member countries to prioritise employment across all development sectors.

Meanwhile, World Bank Governors representing Africa Group I formally bade farewell to Dr Kibwe, a Tanzanian national, following the completion of her term.

They commended her performance during her two-year tenure, which ran from 2024 to October 2026.