Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left, meets with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete photo (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)
The Government of Canada is committed to helping improve the quality of life for people in Africa. To this end, on October 4, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced support for six new initiatives in Tanzania aimed at improving the health of mothers and children, supporting peacekeeping training, promoting good governance and accountability, and helping stimulate sustainable economic growth in the country
The initiatives announced today represent over $30 million in new support to Tanzania and will be delivered through programs at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).
As part of its ongoing commitment to development in Africa, Canada has contributed more than $600 million in development assistance to Tanzania since 2006-2007.
CIDA’s support includes:
Joining Hands: Improving Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) in Tanzania Implementing partner: Aga Khan Foundation Canada
Timeframe: Delivered over four years (2011-2015)
Cost: $12 million
Canada’s contribution will directly provide quality maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services through five local Aga Khan Primary Medical Centres to over 700,000 women and children. At the community level, the project will help establish systems to refer patients for needed services, improve community awareness and health practices, and increase demand for MNCH and nutrition services.
Improving Maternal and Reproductive Health in Six Districts of Rural Tanzania
Implementing partner: CARE Canada
Timeframe: Delivered over four years (2011-2015)
Cost: $9.9 million
Canada’s contribution will provide quality maternal, newborn, and child health services to over 400,000 women and adolescent girls as well as 5,800 newborns in six districts in the region of Tabora, Tanzania. The project will reduce barriers faced by women in accessing maternal and reproductive health services, provide increased quality of health services for mothers and children, and build the capacity of community health management teams to monitor, report on, and evaluate services.
Support to the Ethics Secretariat
Implementing partner: Government of Tanzania
Timeframe: Delivered over four years (2011-2015)
Cost: $3.1 million
Canada’s contribution to this project aims to support the capacity and institutional development of the Ethics Secretariat to effectively undertake its mandate to combat corruption and ensure good governance through public leaders’ adherence to ethics laws, guidelines, and good practices. The Secretariat addresses issues of transparency and accountability among public office holders.
Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Phase II
Implementing partner: Government of Tanzania
Timeframe: Delivered over five years (2012-2017)
Cost: $2.75 million
This initiative aims to bring the Government of Tanzania into compliance with the global standard set by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. This initiative compels extractive companies in Tanzania to publish information about what they pay to governments, and requires governments to disclose what they receive from extractive companies. The information will be subsequently validated, published and widely disseminated. Improving transparency creates a more attractive investment climate, reduces corruption, improves accountability, and reduces conflict.
The Tanzania Minerals Audit Agency (TMAA)
Implementing partner: Government of Tanzania
Timeframe: Delivered over five years (2012-2017)
Cost: $2.9 million
The purpose of the Minerals Audit Agency is to improve the responsible and sustainable management of extractive industry resources in Tanzania to reduce poverty and improve service delivery to Tanzanians. The project will help to increase the comprehensiveness and accuracy of financial information including revenue and remittances in the extractive industry, increase the availability of accurate information on the minerals produced in Tanzania, improve systems within the Tanzania Minerals Audit Agency (TMAA), and improve the monitoring and auditing of environmental management practices. TMAA’s work will contribute to increased Government of Tanzania revenues that will reduce poverty and improve service delivery to Tanzanians.
DFAIT’s support includes:
Tanzanian Peacekeeping Training Centre
Implementing partner: Canadian Commercial Corporation
Timeframe: October 2012 to March 2013
Cost: $750,000
Canada’s support to the Tanzanian Peacekeeping Training Centre in Dar-es-Salaam is part of Canada’s effort, through the Global Peace and Security Fund, to facilitate effective and accountable conflict prevention, crisis response, peace operations, civilian protection, and stabilization interventions in fragile states.
The Training Centre helps prepare personnel being deployed to peace operations in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as other UN missions. Canada is providing improvements to the facility, essential equipment, and training. The project is in the early stages of implementation, with training having begun, and the remaining support to be provided by March 31, 2013.
These projects and others like them are a clear demonstration of Canada’s ongoing commitment to development in Africa and our focus on delivering programs that are necessary for poverty reduction, economic growth, and accountability.
