THE Export and Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) has begun evaluating all industries it has licensed in the country to enhance and update its database.

The Director General of EPZA Mr. Charles J. Itembe, made the revelation on Friday at his Office in Dar es Salaam, during their visits to some of the industries located at Benjamin William Mkapa Special Economic Zone.

“The purpose of this visit is to evaluate over 200 industries in the country that are licensed by EPZA to update its database,” he said.

He emphasized that one of EPZA’s objectives is to realise the vision of transforming Tanzania into an industrial economy, creating more jobs, increasing the processing of locally sourced raw materials, and thus contributing to national income and foreign currency.

“It is evident that the industrial sector can significantly and swiftly contribute to the Country’s Development, Promote the Value Addition of Local Raw Materials, Create more Jobs, and Facilitate Technology Transfer,” he observed.

He also highlighted the importance of producing high-quality goods as a crucial factor in Tanzania’s efforts to access regional markets, including the East African Community and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

For instance, the production of goods through the Export and Processing Zones (EPZ) framework, which are licensed by EPZA, allows for 80 per cent of all goods produced to be exported, with only 20 per cent sold in domestic markets.

EPZA is responsible for allocating land for investment on behalf of the Government, issuing EPZ/SEZ licenses to investors, Promotion Investment Opportunities and Facilitating Investors to execute their projects in the Export Processing Zones and Special Economic Zones Schemes.

The priority sectors currently being emphasised are Agro- Processing, Hides and Skins, Forestry products, Mining technology and Iron products.

To enhance the productivity of its industries, EPZA has implemented a system that includes investors’ information and the raw materials used in their industries to connect them with local producers’ value chains, thus contributing to economic development.