Interview August 2009

Lempnet: Thank you for sharing your opinions with lempnet viewers. To start with, could you briefly introduce yourself?

AM: Thank you for your invitation and interest. My name is Aggrey Mlimika and I am currently working at The Association of Tanzania Employers as an Executive Director.

Lempnet: Recently, the world financial crisis is strongly affecting the African economies. Are the members turning to ATE for more assistance than before and what kind of support are they seeking?

AM: It is true that the members are turning to us as we are the only employers’ organization in Tanzania. They would like to know the position and the context of the law when the companies are facing difficulties. Unfortunately, our law is not suitable to be applied to the current situation because it is designed for the situations where you have sound financial status. Also, our legislation is quite rigid that it cannot immediately respond to unexpected changes.

The members also ask us for advice and guidance in order to overcome the current difficulties.

Lempnet: Do they also consult you on alternative retraining or technical services?

AM: No. They only ask for legal advice.

Lempnet: Now, let’s move to more general questions. ATE was created in 1966 and is now preparing its new strategic plan. Could you tell us the main priorities for 2010 to 2014?

AM: Unfortunately, we have not been able to prioritize our plans. However, for the new strategic plan, we try to build it up upon the success of the current strategic plan which will be finished at the end of the year. Our current plan is aimed to reinforce ATE to become the voice of employers in Tanzania. We will continue building an organization and raising voice of employers in the country. Second, we will try to provide better services to the members. Third, we will try to provide guidance in terms of providing tools, trainings of employees, human resources management, health issue, and gender equality issues. We are also working to build a sustainable organization with financial capacity.

Last, but not the least, we are currently working to create a strong secretariat in order to deliver good services to members and to meet their expectation.

Lempnet: You also mentioned that you would like to expand the membership. Do you have any specific strategy on this?

AM: We are trying our best to ensure that we provide good services to the members.

Lempnet: Let’s move on to international support. Currently, international donors, especially DANIDA, are supporting ATE in its development. What did you do to obtain their support and what are the expected outcomes?

AM: It is not the first time receiving support from DANIDA. Support from DANIDA began in 2003, which was known as business sector support program for Tanzania. It was targeted to improve business environment, creating labour market which in turns to induce you to market economy liberalization. However, unlike the previous assistance of DANIDA for a specific project between 2003 and 2008, their assistance from 2008 to 2013 would be a budget support. Therefore, DANIDA would provide a support not only for a specific project but also for all areas as a whole. Even though focuses have been on responding to the current strategic plan, we have an agreement with DANIDA that emphasis would change because it might need an adjustment to a new plan once their budget support is adapted to our new strategic plan.

DANIDA is also willing to continue supporting us because we have been able to maintain financial transparency and honesty within the organization.

We have been carefully monitored that the funds from the donors are properly distributed and utilized. Transparency has been one of the most important criteria that helped us to maintain continuous support from DANIDA.

Lempnet: Within the East African Regional Integration process, ATE has agreed to act as the voice of the employers’ organizations in the region. What concrete initiatives will you undertake to promote the interests of enterprises in this context?

AM: Within the region, many enterprises expect us to be the focal point. They also offered regional offices in Arusha to provide a secretariat support. In terms of promotion, we are trying to hear from other member organizations about the current issues that affect our community. And we also expect to provide a coordinating role, helping the members to organize our regional organization. In order to effectively serve the role as a coordinator, we should represent the interests of the members and share the ideas with them.

Lempnet: Thank you for the interview.