Tanzania revokes tourist hunting permits issued in 2017

[NamStay]

Good news!

http://dscnewscenter.org/2017/12/dsc-gets-results-for-tanzania-safari-industry/

Indeed good news!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Tanzania: Govt Defies Pressure Over Hunting Blocks
Dec 29, 2017

By Valentine Oforo

Dodoma — The government has rejected a plea by tourism stakeholders to extend the transition period for the switch from tendering to auctioning in the acquisition of hunting blocks.

Instead, it offered a grace period of one license extension to all hunting operators to prepare themselves before the new system takes off.

Yesterday, Natural Resources and Tourism minister Hamisi Kigwangalla met with stakeholders, who asked for the extension of operation license to at least five year.

The stakeholders argued that they have already invested billions of shillings under the old system, particularly in developing and handling of businesses and thus they needed a reasonable period to recover their money.

Tanzania Hunting Operators Association (Tahoa) chairman Michal Mantheakis said they welcomed the switch with an open heart, but required sufficient time to ensure that it would not negatively impact on other parties.

"We have invested heavily through conservation efforts, infrastructure, modern tour vehicles as well as putting up many other key facilities. We need time to recover our investments, or else, we will experience huge losses," he said.

He noted that the hunting business was currently under-performing due to several technical factors, causing the government to get poor revenues from the key sub-sector.

"In 2016, the government raised VAT charges in the tourism sector, and unfortunately, foreign visitors refused to pay the new rates and so we, operators, incurred losses. However, the ban over importation of lions and elephant trophies in key foreign countries resulted in a significant reduction in the number of foreign hunters that come to Tanzania."

He also warned of a looming bleak future for hunting tourism in Tanzania following the recent decision by the government to revoke all hunting blocks licenses.

"Normally, January and February are key months for advertising and attracting tour safaris bookings from overseas. As I speak, we are supposed to jet off to Europe and the US to exhibit our hunting sites at international tourist platforms, but unfortunately, we are stuck because of the a note from Dallas Safari Club and Safari Club Convention that bans us from participating and exhibiting our products unless the parent ministry lifts the announcement," he said.

Mr Frank Laizer, another stakeholder, asked the government to conduct a survey of all hunting blocks within the country to determine the reality on the ground in order to decide over changing the system.

He said the hunting business was becoming more and more complicated on a daily basis; that's why some players had returned their blocs to the government.

Another stakeholder, Dr Leak Abdallah, decried poor cooperation between the ministry and hunting tourism players.

"The problem is that there are few experts on hunting tourism in Tanzania, which explains why the ministry seems to be little-informed," he said.

He warned that the government could continue getting poor revenues from the sub-sector in the absence of serious interventions to overhaul and develop it.

Yet despite all the arguments and recommendations, Minister Kigwangalla said the government had no plan to reverse its stance over the matter.

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Go...ting-blocks/1840340-4244896-bfbg1e/index.html

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Hunting companies get 12 months to cease operations
MARC NKWAME

THE Government has resolved to grant at least 12 months’ grace period for all owners of hunting blocks to sum up their operations before the state reclaims back the precincts ready for new arrangement in which they are to be squarely auctioned.

That was among the agreements reached by the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Dr Khamis Kigwangallah, during his roundtable meeting with representatives of hunting companies, which was held at LAPF complex in Dodoma.

Dr Kigwangwallah’s meeting with members of the hunting tourism industry, follows the minister’s recent decision to suspend all hunting block licences, including those issued in this year, pending the proposed new arrangement devised by the government to auction the blocks.

“The government’s decision to start new system of issuing hunting blocs through public auction remains,” insisted Dr Kingwangallah but pointed out that due to requests from operators of many blocs, he has decided to give them one more year for operation.

Speaking through the Tanzania Hunting Operators Association (TAHOA), the current owners of hunting blocks in the country, appealed to the Minister to grant them more time because they had invested a lot in the area in terms of premises and infrastructure.

“Many of us keep investing in the blocks, in terms of new buildings and other tangible features; if the blocks get auctioned now, it means the new buyers will get the already developed infrastructures at our expense,” stated Mr Tallal Abood the Director for TAHOA.

On their part, Dr Licky Abdallah of Malagarasi Hunting Safaris and Mr Benson Kibonde of Mkwawa Hunting Safaris appealed to the government to grant them more time because they are all setting out to market the blocks and seek new hunters during the great ‘Hunters Convention’ at the Dallas State in the United States next week.

“Most of our buyers, that is 70 per cent come from the United States,” they pointed out.Tanzania with a total of 157 hunting blocks found in the 28 game reserves operating under the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), has the highest number of such blocks in Africa.



https://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.p...g-companies-get-12-months-to-cease-operations

 

[Tom Hawk]

This retarded and corrupt! Wonder if license fees go to the politicians pockets?

 

[Wheels]

Tanzania: Govt Defies Pressure Over Hunting Blocks
Dec 29, 2017

By Valentine Oforo

Dodoma — The government has rejected a plea by tourism stakeholders to extend the transition period for the switch from tendering to auctioning in the acquisition of hunting blocks.

Instead, it offered a grace period of one license extension to all hunting operators to prepare themselves before the new system takes off.

Yesterday, Natural Resources and Tourism minister Hamisi Kigwangalla met with stakeholders, who asked for the extension of operation license to at least five year.

The stakeholders argued that they have already invested billions of shillings under the old system, particularly in developing and handling of businesses and thus they needed a reasonable period to recover their money.

Tanzania Hunting Operators Association (Tahoa) chairman Michal Mantheakis said they welcomed the switch with an open heart, but required sufficient time to ensure that it would not negatively impact on other parties.

"We have invested heavily through conservation efforts, infrastructure, modern tour vehicles as well as putting up many other key facilities. We need time to recover our investments, or else, we will experience huge losses," he said.

He noted that the hunting business was currently under-performing due to several technical factors, causing the government to get poor revenues from the key sub-sector.

"In 2016, the government raised VAT charges in the tourism sector, and unfortunately, foreign visitors refused to pay the new rates and so we, operators, incurred losses. However, the ban over importation of lions and elephant trophies in key foreign countries resulted in a significant reduction in the number of foreign hunters that come to Tanzania."

He also warned of a looming bleak future for hunting tourism in Tanzania following the recent decision by the government to revoke all hunting blocks licenses.

"Normally, January and February are key months for advertising and attracting tour safaris bookings from overseas. As I speak, we are supposed to jet off to Europe and the US to exhibit our hunting sites at international tourist platforms, but unfortunately, we are stuck because of the a note from Dallas Safari Club and Safari Club Convention that bans us from participating and exhibiting our products unless the parent ministry lifts the announcement," he said.

Mr Frank Laizer, another stakeholder, asked the government to conduct a survey of all hunting blocks within the country to determine the reality on the ground in order to decide over changing the system.

He said the hunting business was becoming more and more complicated on a daily basis; that's why some players had returned their blocs to the government.

Another stakeholder, Dr Leak Abdallah, decried poor cooperation between the ministry and hunting tourism players.

"The problem is that there are few experts on hunting tourism in Tanzania, which explains why the ministry seems to be little-informed," he said.

He warned that the government could continue getting poor revenues from the sub-sector in the absence of serious interventions to overhaul and develop it.

Yet despite all the arguments and recommendations, Minister Kigwangalla said the government had no plan to reverse its stance over the matter.

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Go...ting-blocks/1840340-4244896-bfbg1e/index.html

Hunting companies get 12 months to cease operations
MARC NKWAME

THE Government has resolved to grant at least 12 months’ grace period for all owners of hunting blocks to sum up their operations before the state reclaims back the precincts ready for new arrangement in which they are to be squarely auctioned.

That was among the agreements reached by the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Dr Khamis Kigwangallah, during his roundtable meeting with representatives of hunting companies, which was held at LAPF complex in Dodoma.

Dr Kigwangwallah’s meeting with members of the hunting tourism industry, follows the minister’s recent decision to suspend all hunting block licences, including those issued in this year, pending the proposed new arrangement devised by the government to auction the blocks.

“The government’s decision to start new system of issuing hunting blocs through public auction remains,” insisted Dr Kingwangallah but pointed out that due to requests from operators of many blocs, he has decided to give them one more year for operation.

Speaking through the Tanzania Hunting Operators Association (TAHOA), the current owners of hunting blocks in the country, appealed to the Minister to grant them more time because they had invested a lot in the area in terms of premises and infrastructure.

“Many of us keep investing in the blocks, in terms of new buildings and other tangible features; if the blocks get auctioned now, it means the new buyers will get the already developed infrastructures at our expense,” stated Mr Tallal Abood the Director for TAHOA.

On their part, Dr Licky Abdallah of Malagarasi Hunting Safaris and Mr Benson Kibonde of Mkwawa Hunting Safaris appealed to the government to grant them more time because they are all setting out to market the blocks and seek new hunters during the great ‘Hunters Convention’ at the Dallas State in the United States next week.

“Most of our buyers, that is 70 per cent come from the United States,” they pointed out.Tanzania with a total of 157 hunting blocks found in the 28 game reserves operating under the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), has the highest number of such blocks in Africa.



https://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.p...g-companies-get-12-months-to-cease-operations

"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." Thomas Sowell

 

[BobT]

"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." Thomas Sowell

Sounds a lot like congress.

 

[superdutch]

What a relief!