Tanzania pledges to bolster drivers’ welfare as transport sector contributes 8.5 per cent of its GDP

**DODOMA: **THE Tanzanian government has pledged to continue improving the status, working conditions and welfare of drivers in Tanzania, recognising the importance of the transport sector in driving economic growth and creating employment opportunities.

Minister of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Professor Kitila Mkumbo, made the statement in Parliament while responding to a supplementary question from Mlalo MP Rashid Abdallah Shangazi, who said many drivers in the country were not accorded the status they deserved and were subjected to mistreatment in their workplaces.

Professor Mkumbo said the transport sector is among the five key sectors of the country’s economy, contributing 8.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounting for approximately 4.4 per cent of employment.

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He said drivers are a critical component of the sector, noting that their number is estimated at approximately 1.5 million. He added that the government is continuing to develop measures to ensure drivers have better working conditions and that their contribution to the economy is properly recognised.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of State in the President’s Office for Public Service Management and Good Governance, Regina Ndege Qwaray, said the government had continued to improve the career development framework for the driving profession, including professional training and required education standards.

Qwaray said the government was also strengthening incentives and welfare packages for drivers to help them cope with their working conditions, while seeking to enhance the dignity, status and respect accorded to the profession on par with other occupational cadres.

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