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Convened by UNDP with support from other UN agencies and the World Bank in
Tanzania, more than 60 representatives from the government of Tanzania, the
private sector, civil society, and the donor community came together in Dar es
Salaam on 30 September for a two-day workshop on the “Growing Sustainable
Business in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Initiative”. The Initiative
aims to find ways to increase pro-poor business and to facilitate greater
business involvement in development and poverty reduction efforts.
The event was opened by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Honorable
Abdulsalaam Khatibu, (MP) and the Director of Poverty Eradication, Office of the
Vice-President, Dr. Servacius Likwelile. The international coordinator of the
Growing Sustainable Business in LDCs Initiative, Mr. Richard Sandbrook,
facilitated the event.
Participants discussed how business can help
Tanzania improve its domestic investment environment, the growth of the domestic
business sector and on how to meet the development targets as spelt out in the
Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).
The workshop also focused much
attention on a select number of proposed sustainable business projects, and how
these could be developed and implemented in ways that ensure both commercial
sustainability and positive local development impact. Included were projects
championed by both international and domestic private companies, addressing
issues such as provision of telecom and electricity services in rural Tanzania,
as well as linking large companies with local farmers and small entrepreneurs
for the supply of alternative fuels and agriculture commodities.
“This Initiative offers an exceptional opportunity for greater
business involvement in overcoming the poverty trap”, said UNDP Resident
Representative Mr. John Hendra. “It is my strong belief that the Growing
Sustainable Business Initiative is highly relevant for Tanzania, since it is
clearly in line with the need to engage business more actively in the PRS Review
and in the achievement of the MDGs, as well as with key initiatives such as the
Investors’ Roundtable.”
The workshop concluded with a strong
commitment from its participants, including from the leading companies involved,
to move several of the discussed projects forward and to establish a local
framework for advancing the overall Growing Sustainable Business Initiative in
Tanzania.
The Growing Sustainable Business in LDCs
initiative originated in the 2002 Global Compact Policy Dialogue 2002 on
“Business and Sustainable Development”, and was globally launched at the World
Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. It recognizes that little of
the increase in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to developing countries over
the last decade goes to the Least Developed Countries. In addition, it also
recognizes that by developing innovative products, services and approaches, and
by working more closely with other sectors, the private sector can significantly
contribute to sustainable development through its commercial investments. The
initiative therefore aims to facilitate and increase investments and business
activities that have a positive impact on sustainable development and on the
Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs) in particular on local economic
development.
In the pilot phase of the GSB initiative, activities
are currently undertaken or planned in the following countries: Ethiopia,
Madagascar, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Angola.
For
further information please contact Jonas Giersing jonas.giersing@undp.org or Casper
Sonesson casper.sonesson@undp.org
