The Executive Director of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Centre, David Kafulila, has raised a new discussion about the use of public funds and the role of the private sector in strengthening regional economies, during his participation in the Arusha Economic Forum held at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).The conference, which brought together development stakeholders, domestic and foreign investors, and government leaders, aimed to empower business people and investors on how to utilize the opportunities available in the Arusha Region.

Professor Patrick Lumumba, who was the guest of honor at the conference, emphasized the importance of patriotic investment and using local resources as a foundation for growing Africa's economy. He urged African nations to invest in strategic projects built on their internal capabilities rather than relying on foreign aid.Similarly, the Director of the PPP Centre, David Kafulila, emphasized by saying.
"The Arusha Region has numerous opportunities that can be implemented through public-private partnerships without relying on funds from the government treasury."
"Many parking areas, markets, and bus stations in all districts of Arusha require better infrastructure. But we don't have to wait for central government funds. These are opportunities that can be addressed by local investors through PPP, because they don't require large capital investments," said Kafulila.

He added that there are many development projects that can be successfully implemented by the private sector, allowing the government to remain in an enabling role rather than executing everything.
Touching on the tourism and agriculture sectors, Kafulila pointed out that Arusha has significant potential to benefit through PPP, particularly in improving transportation infrastructure and processing agricultural products like avocados, which have already shown success in regions like Njombe.

For his part, the Regional Commissioner of Arusha, Paul Makonda, said that the goal of the conference was to connect business people and investors and provide them with economic knowledge that would help them utilize the available opportunities effectively.
The one-day conference included discussions, exhibitions of business and investment opportunities, and workshops to build economic capacity for citizens and various stakeholders.