Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09DARESSALAAM351
2009-06-01 06:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Cable title:  

PRESIDENT KIKWETE AND CODEL ISAKSON DISCUSS

Tags:  PREL ECON EINV EAID TZ 
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ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010609Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8552
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 2898
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 1354
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3429
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1290
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000351 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS AID, PEACE CORPS; AF FOR JLIDDLE, FEHRENREICH,
AF/EPS; COMMERCE FOR BERKUL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON EINV EAID TZ
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KIKWETE AND CODEL ISAKSON DISCUSS
BILATERAL ASSISTANCE

REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 164

B. DAR ES SALAAM 206 AND PRIOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000351

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS AID, PEACE CORPS; AF FOR JLIDDLE, FEHRENREICH,
AF/EPS; COMMERCE FOR BERKUL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON EINV EAID TZ
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KIKWETE AND CODEL ISAKSON DISCUSS
BILATERAL ASSISTANCE

REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 164

B. DAR ES SALAAM 206 AND PRIOR


1. (SBU) Summary. President Jakaya Kikwete welcomed visiting
Senators Isakson and Corker to State House on May 28. On
bilateral issues, Kikwete reiterated points he raised during
his recent Washington meetings. He emphasized the strong
U.S.-Tanzania relationship and reviewed the impact of the
global financial crisis on Tanzania's economy. Kikwete
expressed appreciation for U.S. support on health and
education and asked for additional support for secondary
education. In response to Kikwete's request for help
attracting investment, CDA noted that the GOT could take
steps to improve Tanzania's business climate, in particular
by resolving the ongoing tax dispute involving APR Energy.
Kikwete's discussion of regional issues is described septel.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) Referring to his recent meetings with President
Obama and Secretary Clinton, Kikwete welcomed the senators by
expressing his pleasure at the strong relationship between
Tanzania and the United States. He said Tanzania is making
steady progress on reform measures, despite their difficulty.
Kikwete said the impact of the global economic downturn had
led the GOT to revise its projections for economic growth
downward, to 5-6 percent as compared to the 8 percent
previously predicted. He said that declining demand for
Tanzanian export commodities, in particular cotton, is a
serious challenge. He said the GOT is working toward
solutions, such as through a plan to guarantee loans to
cotton farmers (see ref a).


3. (SBU) On education, Kikwete stressed that increased
investment, particularly in the sciences, is a top priority.
With a 98 percent enrollment rate, primary education is a
Tanzanian success story. He said his goal to have at least
one secondary school in every ward was achieved three years
ahead of schedule: there are now approximately 2,700
secondary schools in 2,500 wards. Kikwete attributed this
success to overwhelming demand for secondary education. He
observed that keeping up with such demand will be difficult,
given the lack of trained teachers, books and other tools

such as lab equipment. He renewed his request for additional
Peace Corps Volunteers to serve as science teachers and
applauded a textbook donation from South Carolina State
University.


4. (SBU) Kikwete noted his particular interest in developing
Tanzania's Information Technology sector through tertiary
education. He described a three step process: 1) providing
better access to the information highway via the fiber optic
network (see ref a); 2) training IT professionals; and 3)
applying information technology across sectors. Kikwete also
hoped that promotion of e-Government solutions will help in
the fight against corruption by reducing the amount of
person-to-person contact required in official transactions.
(Note: this is a particular focus of a new electronic
clearance system used by the Tanzania Ports Authority.)
Kikwete also highlighted various private U.S.-Tanzania
partnerships in IT. While in California earlier in the
month, he requested that Stanford University oversee the
development of the IT training school at the University of
Dar es Salaam. IBM recently donated 28,000 technical books
to the University of Dodoma.


5. (SBU) Moving on to the health sector, Kikwete praised the
support that Tanzania has received from the U.S. Calling the
President's Malaria Initiative "extraordinary," he cited the
almost total eradication of malaria on Zanzibar and a fifty
percent decrease on the mainland. He stressed the need for a
focus on sustainability in the wake of such impressive
results. He also highlighted the U.S. role in promoting
Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV/AIDS. In response
to Senator Isakson's statement that the U.S. would continue
supporting Tanzania in the health sector, Kikwete expressed
relief, saying he had been worried about the U.S. abandoning
Tanzania under the new Administration.


6. (SBU) Senators Corker and Isakson asked President Kikwete
how else the U.S. might support Tanzania economically, and
suggested promotion of FDI. Kikwete agreed that FDI was a

DAR ES SAL 00000351 002 OF 002


top priority and noted that he plans to return to the U.S.
later this year for an investment conference. Saying he
hopes Tanzania will achieve middle-income status by 2025, he
welcomed the support of the senators to sell Tanzania to U.S.
businesses and potential investors. CDA took this
opportunity to point out treatment of past or current
investors is key to the decisions of potential investors in
Tanzania. He cited the negative experience of U.S.-based APR
Energy, whose tax dispute with the GOT would deter future
investment (especially in the energy sector, where investment
is badly needed). CDA said resolution of current disputes
would make the investment climate much more attractive.
Kikwete said that the APR case was on course for resolution.
(See ref b re APR).
ANDRE