Local entrepreneurs will get special seminar to build their capacity for utilizing business opportunities that will be availed by the 2,100-MW hydroelectric project at Stiegler’s Gorge on the Rufiji River.

The seminars would be organised by the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), the National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC) and Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) to promote local content and ensure part of the 3.6 billion US dollars earmarked for the project remains at home to benefit Tanzanians.

The TPSF Executive Director, Mr Godfrey Simbeye told reporters in Dar es Salaam over the weekend that preparation plans for the seminars were at advanced stages.

“TPSF believes that Stiegler’s Gorge project would bring a lot of opportunities and our local firms including local contractors and entrepreneurs must be guided as well on how to utilize these opportunities, he said.

The seminars would come in the wake of revelations by the Energy Minister, Medard Kalemani that the mega power project would create between 3,000 and 5,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

The Minister told a delegation of the Parliamentary Committee for Energy and Minerals at the project’s site in March that the project would also stimulate tourism and expand towns.

The committee had inspected the construction of roads and bridges at the area where a major water dam will be built.

TPSF congratulates the government of Tanzania and President Dr John Pombe Magufuli for the decision to execute the project noting many local enterprises will benefit from the project if they will be guided properly, he said.

Meanwhile, National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC) has said, plans to prepare essential data to favour entrepreneurs who will be engaged into the project were underway.

NEEC’s Executive Secretary, Ms Beng’i Issa told reporters at press conference that, NEEC was keen to prepare all entrepreneurs who need to benefit from the project to get the right information from NEEC and TPSF.

She said presentation and guidelines about available opportunities and their volumes to be allocated to local enterprises including small and medium entrepreneurs (SME’s) would be provided at the seminar.

The project contractor from Egypt and TANESCO would provide presentation to the seminar, she added.

Source: Daily News