CALL TO AMEND COPYRIGHT LAW
Although there has been a copyright law in Tanzania for literary and artistic works since 1966, its existence as well as its significance is unknown to most authors and artists. This was stated at a recent National Symposium on ‘Copyright’ organised by the Publishers Association of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam. Participants heard that there was rampant piracy of other people’s works especially in the video recording business. The participants also learnt that there were pirate publishers and printers who, through a ‘tender system’ used books of other publishers. The books were then sold at reduced prices.
The symposium suggested that the 1966 law should be strengthened and that Tanzania should join the international copyright conventions – SHIHATA
GOOD PERFORMANCE
A report covering the years 1979 to 1989 from the Tanzania Audit Corporation stated that the trend of performance of parastatal accounting was very good. Between 1985 and 1989 the number of clean accounts improved from 41.4% to 73.7% – a clear sign of improvement and a trend which should be maintained. Of 461 accounts audited during the year ending on 30th June 1990, 245 companies were given a clean certificate. This represented a percentage of 53.2%. – the highest percentage ever attained in anyone year.
BUT ….
The report went on to say that parastatal organisations made a loss of 5hs 4,198.9 million from 1979 to 1989. Many were becoming eaters and not creators of the national cake. During the decade 239 of the audited 461 accounts showed losses totalling 5hs 39,110.2 million as against 191 accounts which showed a total profit of 5hs 34,911.2 million. Large losses were by Industries and Trade, Communications and Works, Agriculture and Livestock, Water, Energy and Minerals, Local Government, Community Development, Cooperative and Marketing institutions Business Times.
LES AMITIES FRANCO- TANZANIENNES
The French equivalent of the Britain-Tanzania Society, ‘Les Amities Franco-Tanzaniennes’ has recently reported, in its journal ‘URAFIKI TANZANIA’, on its last Annual General Meeting. The Society has some 70 members and the last time we had direct contact (Bulletin No 29) it appeared to be thriving. Lately, however, it seems to have been passing through difficult times. The President and Secretary had apparently agreed to occupy these positions only for one year and they, together with the Treasurer, now wished to resign. Continuation of the society’s activities therefore depended on a new team taking over. The debate illustrated how attached the members were to a continuation of the society even if in reduced form.
On the other hand, the latest edition of ‘Urafiki Tanzania’ (January-March 1991) is one of the most informative that we have seen. It features a lengthy interview with the Tanzanian Ambassador in Paris, an analysis of Julius Nyerere’s career (‘La Voix de L’ Afrique’ …. ‘Maigr e Heritage Mais Pas De Regrets’), an article under the heading ‘The Struggle For Democracy’ and a rather sad piece on the equivalent in Dar es Salaam of what has become known as the ‘Cardboard City’ in London – DRB.
BRITISH BUSINESSMEN IN TANZANIA
Fourteen British businessmen visited Tanzania in March 1991 on a trade mission to search for local markets for British goods. They included representatives of coffee processing machine manufacturers, pallet racking and shelving systems, diesel engine suppliers and others. One member of the group, Mr Conor Robinson, an export executive of a London-based steel company, said that Tanzania had tremendous investment potential but the negative response by public organisations was hampering the investment business. He refused to name the parastatals and government institutions concerned – Business Times.
A BUSINESS NEWSLETER
The Tenzania/UK Business Group which was formed in London three years ago has recently produced its Inaugural Newsletter. This 20-pege issue, in the same format as this Bulletin, contained articles on the Tanzanian Trade Centre in London, a report on a visit by a group of members to Tanzenia last year, the new Investment Code (Bulletin No 37) and the results of the elections to the Group’s Executive Committee.
The principal officers of the Group ere Dr Fidehussein Remtulleh (Chairman), Mr Aziz Nasser (Vice Chairmen), Mr Simon Mlay (Secretary) and Mr Kassim Manji (Treasurer). Mr Manji defined the primary aim of the group as being ‘to get Tanzanian business people together and also those outsiders who are interested in Tanzania’s affairs, in order to ultimately play a part in the social and economic uplift of Tanzania’.
UNIVERSITY CHANGES
It has been announced in Der es Salaam that Professor G. R. V. Mmari has been appointed to head up the proposed new Open University, under the Ministry of Science, Technology end Higher Education in Tanzania. His place as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam hes been taken by Prof Mathew Luhanga who is an engineer by profession and was previously the University’s Chief Academic Officer.
But members of the University of Dar es Salaam’s Academic Staff Assembly (UDASA) described the removal of the popular Prof Mmari as an ‘act of injustice’ and requested President Mwinyi to re-instate him. The unprecedented request was contained in a two-page statement issued after an extraordinary meeting on April 8th 1991 – Daily News.