NEW YORK: THE Tanzanian government has identified three key priorities that will guide the accelerated implementation of the New Urban Agenda through 2036.
The New Urban Agenda was adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador, on 20 October 2016.
The priorities focus on expanding access to adequate and affordable housing, improving the delivery of basic urban services, and strengthening the participation of local governments and communities in urban development.
Speaking at the High-Level Meeting of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in New York, United States, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Eng. Anthony Sanga, said Tanzania has continued to implement a range of initiatives aimed at improving the housing sector.
He said the government has strengthened land tenure security, formalized informal settlements, and increased the availability of planned areas for housing development. At the same time, policy and legal reforms have been introduced to attract greater investment in the housing sector.
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Eng. Sanga further said that the Government is working closely with the National Housing Corporation (NHC), the Tanzania Buildings Agency (TBA), and Watumishi Housing Investments (WHI) to construct houses for both sale and rental.
He emphasized that ensuring access to adequate housing requires secure land tenure, effective land administration systems, access to housing finance, and strong collaboration among the government, the private sector, and local communities.
The New Urban Agenda was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly at its sixty-eighth plenary meeting of the seventy-first session on 23 December 2016.
The New Urban Agenda represents a shared vision for a better and more sustainable future. If well-planned and well-managed, urbanization can be a powerful tool for sustainable development for both developing and developed countries