A KENYAN investor, Burhani Taibali, is planning to spend about 800m/- to build a salt refinery at Monga Ward in Mkinga District, Tanga Region.

The investor, who is the managing director of Danson Food Products Ltd based in Kenya, told Tanga Regional Commissioner (RC), Ms Chiku Galawa, who paid a visit to the salt farm over the weekend that the construction process would start soon.

Mr Taibali said almost all the initial processes for the project have been accomplished and what was underway now, was to bring building materials to the site. "Already we have got enough money for the project, environment assessment has been done also. In fact, we are collaborating positively with the government here. This gives us hope for our investment," he said before the RC.

He said currently they have been harvesting salt from the farm, but they have to export it to Mombasa, Kenya for refinery process, before reaching the market,something which increases the production costs.

Mr Taibali said the establishment of the refinery industry at the farm site would reduce the production costs, enabling them to sell their products at a cheaper price. Explaining about the direct benefit that the residents in Mkinga District would get from the project, Mr Burhani said that about 2,000 people would get direct employment at the factory, reducing poverty in many households.

Apart from employment, the investor said the community development projects like schools and dispensaries would be established, since the national policy requires an investor to extend support for social development projects in the surrounding areas.

The Monga Ward Councillor for Mr Hassan Bakari Alli had commended the investment process, saying it would be of great benefit to people around his ward,in terms of employment and poverty eradication.

He pledged to mobilise the community so that they collaborate with the investor, to make sure that the project was accomplished at the right time for the benefit of all. Ms Galawa had welcomed the investor, but urged that he must pay due revenue to the government, so that the state could benefit from its decision of welcoming investors in the country.

Posted on : 30 Nov,-0001