DODOMA: MINISTER of State in the President’s Office (Planning and Investment), Professor Kitila Mkumbo, has said the National Development Vision 2050 (NDV 2050) will accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by integrating them into the country’s short-, medium- and long-term development plans.
Prof Mkumbo made the remarks on Monday while addressing the General Debate of the United Nations HighLevel Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York, United States.
He said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been aligned with the National Development Vision 2050 through the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP IV), creating a strong foundation for implementing the SDGs beyond 2030.
“The 2030 Agenda is an integral part of our long-term development journey. Through the National Development Vision 2050 and the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan, we have aligned our national priorities with the Sustainable Development Goals, to ensure continued implementation beyond 2030,” he said.
Prof Mkumbo said Tanzania’s development priorities under Dira 2050 include modernising agriculture, promoting industrialisation, developing the blue economy, strengthening resilience to climate change, accelerating digital transformation, investing in human capital and enhancing domestic resource mobilisation to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
He said the country’s progress in implementing the SDGs demonstrates its commitment despite global challenges, including climate change, economic shocks and regional conflicts.
“We have expanded access to clean water and sanitation services, strengthened healthcare services, increased access to quality education, expanded electricity coverage, accelerated digital transformation, invested in strategic infrastructure and enhanced domestic resource mobilisation as well as the capacity of public institutions,” he said.
The minister said Tanzania also presented its Third Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals during the forum. He said achieving the 2030 Agenda would require stronger international cooperation, noting that many developing countries continue to face financing constraints that slow the implementation of development programmes.
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Prof Mkumbo called on the international community to implement the 2023 UN Political Declaration and support the UN Secretary-General’s SDG Stimulus Initiative.
“We call for lower borrowing costs, solutions to debt challenges, expanded access to affordable development financing and accelerated reforms of the international financial system to make it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of developing countries,” he said.
Under Dira 2050, Tanzania aims to attain upper-middle-income status with a one trilliondollar economy by 2050. The vision identifies integrated logistics, science and technology, energy, research and development (R&D) and digital transformation as key drivers of productivity, innovation and economic growth.