RCT Management Report RCT Board Meeting 17Th September 2014

RCT Management Report – RCT Board Meeting 17th September 2014

FOLLOW UP ON ACTIVITIES DECIDED BY BOARD

Recommendation of Names/ Entities to join the RCT.

Identification of the gaps from the RCT members’ categories as being done.

Small scale rice growers, considering geographical concentration (2) 6

Large Scale rice growers – (2) 2

Small scale traders – (0) 3

Large scale traders – (2) 2

Small scale millers / processors – (0) 3

Large scale millers / processors – (1) 2

Input supply Companies – (1) 2

Service Providers – (2) 2

Financial Service Providers – (2) 2

NGO’s – (1) 2

Rice Research Institutions – (0) 1

GoT representative – (1) 1

Donors – (0) 1

Others – (0) 1

TOTAL (current) planned (14) 30

RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 1 Therefore the RCT still has 16 vacancies

WORKSHOP ON STRATEGIC PLANNING

The RCT should have a complete membership so that a strategic planning workshop can be implemented.

DATA COLLECTION

Sharing the working tool developed by NMB with other stakeholders in data collection on rice. Board member from NMB will highlight their intention on conducting the study.

PRAYER

Mr. Lyimo is working on it.

PRESS STATEMENT.

The theme will be an outcome out of the meeting

NEWS LETTER

A registration fee of 500 000 TZ is required by the Ministry of Information. The registration process needs to be completed before a newsletter can be published.

RECIVING /PAYMENTS

Reimbursement of registration fees can be facilitated after RCT formalization.

 Bank account—Letter of resolution

 TRA/TIN number

 Receipt books

 Rubber stamps, Company seal. RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 2 A. MEETINGS:

1 Meeting at TRA—Customs: On the 5th of August, 2014

A delegation of the RCT had a meeting with Mr. Said Athuman (Manager – Trade Facilitation at TRA-customs).

Delegation members:

Mr. Julius Wambura- Chairman RCT

Mr. Sebastian Sambuo— RUDI

Mr. Jürgen Koch from GIZ representing Kilimo Trust.

Mr. Carter Coleman –Vise Chairman RCT.

Mrs. Renalda Kimaro- CEO-RCT

Purpose.

Seeking facts and discussing common external tariffs (CET) issues.

Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi are imposing a 75% CET tariff on Tanzanian rice. This, disregarding the fact that Tanzania being a member of the East African Community CET should be rated zero.

Mr. Said Athuman briefed the RCT delegation on the Council of East African Community Finance Ministers meeting which was held in Nairobi and approved measures on customs duty rates on paddy rice, husked (brown) rice, semi milled or wholly milled rice and broken rice. Kenya stayed an application on an EAC CET import

RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 3 duty rate of 35% or USD 200/MT instead of 75% or USD 200/MT whichever is higher for a period of one year. Rwanda stayed an application on EAC CET duty rate of 45% instead of 75% or USD 200/MT whichever is higher for a period of one year.

Mr. Said Athuman provided a report to the RCT delegation on rice verification done by a special mission from the East African Community. The rice verification report indicates that there are large bulk quantities of unsold rice (of Tanzanian origin) within Tanzania.

Outcome of the meeting

i) Short Term Measure

The RCT should write letters to the Prime Minister of Tanzania with copies to the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance outlining the current situation on Common External Tariffs (CET) being charged on rice exported from Tanzania. Tanzania is to seek a waiver from the currently imposed CET by Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

ii) Long Term Measure

The RCT needs to prepare a document that will be an evidence based analysis of the status of the rice sub sector in Tanzania, especially on stocks held in the country. This information will assist the Government of Tanzania (GoT) in making better informed decisions relating to the rice sub-sector. This will give Tanzania a better leverage in liaising with the East African Community Finance Minister’s Council on policy and strategy formation.

The RCT has drafted letters regarding CET issue to be sent to: RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 4  Prime Minister’s office.

 Tanzania Revenue Authority

2 Meeting at Department of Information / Ministry of Communication on 12 August, 2014.

The CEO—RCT had meeting with Mr. Ismael Ngayonga, Information officer, at the Ministry of Communication, Department of Information.

Purpose:

Inquiry on the process of registering a RCT newsletter.

Findings:

The RCT has to submit:

 an application letter, enclosing the proposed names and curriculum vitae of board members

 the RCT Memorandum and Articles of Association,  the RCT Certificate of Incorporation,  the RCT physical address

The RCT has to make a one-time payment of Tshs 500,000.00

The RCT office is waiting for the required documents from board members/directors to continue with the process.

 The curriculum vitae  The company profile

3 Meeting with FtF SERA project on the 12th August 2014.

The RCT intends supporting the SERA project in their efforts to harmonize data collection methodology.

Participants:

RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 5 Mr. Jürgen Koch from GIZ representing Kilimo Trust.

Mr. Don Mitchel – COP, SERA project

Ms. Marialyce Muchler —S ERA Project

Mr. Alex Mkindi—SERA Project

Ms. Renalda Kimaro—CEO-RCT

Mr. Michael Winklmaier—Rice Value Chain Coordinator

Purpose.

Discussions were held on the methodology used by various organizations in collecting data relevant to the rice industry.

The rice value chain coordinator gave a briefing on the availability of rice industry data in Tanzania. SERA added that data collected by the SERA office is mainly trade data.

The outcome of the meeting.

The RCT is to communicate with public and private organizations and find out what methodology is use in data collection. In a second step, a harmonization work-shop (on technical level) can be organized.

Proposed organizations to contact:

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), East Africa Grain Council (EAGC), Kilombero Plantation Ltd. (KPL), Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI), FtF NAFAKA project, Rural Urban Development Initiatives (RUDI), Policy Research for Development (REPOA), Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), Ministry of Industry and Trade ((MIT), Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Kapunga Farm Ltd, Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Tanzania ( MVIWATA),

RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 6 Kilombero Agricultural Training Institute (KATRIN), Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania Chambers of Commerce=, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), National Microfinance Bank (NMB), Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT), Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFC), VESTFARM (implementing financial business solutions in the agriculture, financial services, and payment industries), Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO), Costech ( Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), Agricultural Non State Actors Forum (ANSAF).

4 Ministry of Agriculture. 14th August, 2014

The CEO-RCT was called to a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Purpose:

Follow up on identifying areas of possible collaboration. The CEO-RCT was connected to Mr. Malema from the Crop Promotion Department. Discussions focused on a way to develop a systematic trading system between farmers and rice traders. The main issue discussed was how to develop market oriented business models.

Outcome of meeting.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFC) will share the Rice Seed Strategy with RCT board members for them to review and comment /add their inputs before finalizing this document. Then getting marketing and trade on board to oversee how the two parties can connect to address the needs of the market looking at quality, efficiency, productivity and impact.

5 Meeting at SAGCOT CENTRE LTD on 29th of August, 2014.

Participants.

RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 7 Mr. K. Mtambo—Director Food security—MAFC

Mr. G. Kirenga—CEO - SAGCOT CENTRE LTD

Mr. Don Mitchel –COP - SERA project

Mrs Mary Shetto—Team leader Kilimo Trust

Mr. David Nyange—MAFC

Mr. Harold Carey—USAID

Mary Ijumba—SAGCOT CENTRE LTD

Mr. John Nakei—SAGCOT CENTRE LTD

Mr. Alex Mkindi—SERA Project

Ms. Marialyce Muchler —SERA Project

MS Renalda Kimaro—Rice Council of Tanzania

Purpose:

Preparatory meeting for data harmonization workshop

Discussion:

The discussions focused on how the Government of Tanzania and the private sector could improve their data collection methodologies. There was concern that improvement on data collection is not only to be seen as a GoT matter.

As it appears that Tanzania is producing a surplus in rice the need for a commodity exchange system becomes inevitable. It was noted that information on rice production in Tanzania and the transparent availability of data to the Government of Tanzania (GoT) is crucial so that the GoT can exercise correct policy measures.

Outcome.

RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 8 The SAGCOT Centre will arrange a further meeting to engage data collectors from the private sector in addressing the challenges and seek opportunities of improving data collection methodologies. Private sector companies / organizations will be invited to present their data collection methodologies. The meeting will generate a clear understanding and stimulate thinking amongst industry stakeholders that will lead to mutual agreement on what data collection modalities to follow.

It was agreed that David Nyange will communicate with private sector and other institution like Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), Bank of Tanzania (BOT) to share their experiences on data collection.

The proposed day of the next meeting was to be 11th September 2014.

6 Meeting with ANSAF.

Purpose:

Evaluating the possibilities of RCT membership with ANSAF.

7 Discussion on current CET issues were held with the Director of Food Security— MAFC.

Prior to the East African Council meeting which was to take place in Kigali (5th September 2014) , the Director of Food Security invited the RCT—CEO to MAFC for further discussion on common external tariffs (CET) and to follow up on the letter of support from RCT sent to the Ministry. The main point of discussion was on how to prepare the Tanzania delegation to raise the current CET issue as an agenda point at the East African Council meeting. It was noted that private sector representation amongst the Tanzanian delegation would be important for technical input before presentation of the agenda to the Ministerial Council.

The Director of Food Security (MAFC) has since reported that the current CET issue was deferred for discussion until the next ministerial summit which will be held in Arusha between September and October, 2014. The RCT has been asked to search for RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 9 evidence—supporting documents on East African rice trade - to submit to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives in support of advocating for the lifting of CET on Tanzanian rice imported into other EAC countries.

RCT Management Report 17th September 2014 Page 10