Analysis of the opportunities and challenges facing actors involved in the Export Processing Zones programme in Tanzania

This research was based on the analysis of opportunities and challenges facing actors involved in the Tanzania’s EPZs. Significancy of this research to actors was to assist them to identify and analyze available opportunities so that they can take advantage of the opportunities, while at the same time to assist them know the challenges so that they could adjust their strategies to overcome these challenges. To the EPZA and the Government of Tanzania in general, significance of this research was to enable them know the available opportunities so that they can use them in their activities and campaigns to attract more investors. Knowing the challenges would enable the authorities to take necesary measures to eradicate these challenges. The study was conducted under the exploratory design. This design was used because the researcher wanted to explore information that has not been captured by previous studies, regarding opportunities and challenges facing actors in the EPZs programme in Tanzania. Results indicate that Tanzania’s ability to attract new investors to invest in the country’s EPZs has been improving from year-to-year. Also results have revealed that incentives were the major attraction which made all investors who are currently in the Tanzania’s EPZs to invest in the programme. However, economic contribution of actors in the programme are still very low. In conclusion, more efforts should be focussed in attracting investments that are labour intesinve so as to address the serious problem of unemployment, as well as investments that will use raw materials that are produced in Tanzania in order to add value in the country’s products rather than exporting them in raw forms.