Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Tone Skogen to visit Tanzania to forge business relations

Press release for immediate release


7 March 2016

Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Tone Skogen to visit Tanzania to forge business relations
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway, Ms. Tone Skogen will visit Tanzania for the first time in an official capacity between 8 - 11 March. Ms. Skogen's visits to Dar es Salaam and Arusha to meet Government Ministers as well as EAC officials will be to discuss regional and bilateral issues including Public-Private Partnerships, skills needed for the Oil and Gas industry, and tax cooperation.
 "I very much look forward to visiting Tanzania," said Ms. Skogen. "Norway and Tanzania have been partners in development cooperation for almost 50 years, and this visit is the first in my official capacity. As Tanzania keeps growing, our friendship will evolve and become much broader than just development cooperation. I am eager to engage in political dialogue with the new government of Tanzania."

As Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Skogen’s areas of responsibility include development policy and finance, international economic cooperation and business promotion. During her visit, Ms. Skogen is expected to meet with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Planning, and Ministry of Energy and Minerals in Dar es Salaam, as well as meetings with the East African Community in Arusha.

Norway’s competence lies within the oil and gas sector, renewable energy and aqua- and agriculture. Thus, Norwegian investments in Tanzania are largely found within these areas. The delegation will kick-off in Arusha on 8 and 9 March with a visit to a commercial farm with Norwegian investors and a bioenergy installation in the area. Furthermore, the delegation will also meet and engage with students at the Arusha Technical College, where Norway supports vocational training in the renewable energy sector.

Norway has supported capacity building in Tanzania for a long time. The Deputy Minister will launch the Norwegian Contribution to the Tax Modernisation Programme on 10 March. The aim is to increase efficiency and quality within the tax audit of corporations, increase the negotiation capacity towards the extractive industry and to escalate tax revenues. The Deputy Minister will also announce the Norwegian contribution to the Skills for Oil and Gas- Africa (SOGA) vocational training initiative.

Private sector development in Tanzania will also be promoted during the Deputy Minister’s visit. The private-public partnership between AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) and the Norwegian fertiliser company YARA, will be launched on 11 March in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture and other representatives of the Government of Tanzania, the diplomatic corps and civil society. This partnership aims at assisting smallholder farmers in obtaining the necessary agricultural inputs in order to increase their yields, as well as to connect the farmers to local and national value-chains and access to a larger market.

"Norwegian efforts are aimed at supporting business development in Tanzania and to attract foreign direct investment to the country. This will help Tanzania achieve the goals set out in its Vision for 2025," said Ms. Skogen.


For more information on the visit, or to attend the events mentioned in this release, please contact: Joanna Martin

Media Consultant on behalf of the Royal Norwegian Embassy

+255 (0)786 894841

joanna@indigo-mtpc.com