Union, Z’bar authorities’ economic vision sustainable

He made this assertion yesterday when launching Kilindini Hotel, a tourist facility at Pwani mchangani village in Unguja North A District as part of activities to mark 59 years of the Zanzibar Revolution.

He similarly acknowledged that the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA) has registered a total of 215 projects worth $3.2bn in the past two years since President Mwinyi assumed office.

Projects inaugurated during the celebrations are expected to provide more than 13,000 jobs, he stated, noting that these achievements in the two year period of the eighth phase presidency result from measures to ease investment flows, in line with policies of the ruling party, he said.

The people have every reason to respect the revolution because it was a major instrument to free them from clutches of rulers discriminating against them in various fields in their own country, he said.

Marking the revolution is an important aspect of history as it is an occasion to remember how poor farmers and workers refused to be discriminated against in their own land, he stated.

The prevailing peace in the country has been a factor in attracting many foreign investors, making Unguja and Pemba prime destinations for tourism and related investments, he said.

He expressed appreciation to investors for choosing Zanzibar as a destination, saying the choice has something to do with the beauty of our islands and profound faith in our future.

Shariff Ali Shariff, the ZIPA executive director, said the project was initiated by Elias and Rabih Michel, an Italian couple, together with Monica and Oscar Seavendra Perez, a Spanish couple, costing $13m (30bn/-). The hotel has recruited 62 employees, mostly locals.

Dr Habiba Omar, the Labour, Economic Affairs and Investment principal secretary at the President’s Office, said that upwards of 1,225 projects have been registered through ZIPA, showing a total value of $16.4bn.

Out of them, 452 or 37 percent are hotel projects, with 38 hotels being classified as upmarket tourist facilities, she added.