Tanzania’s growth slows in first quarter as construction softens

DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania’s economic growth slowed to 6.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2019 from 7.5% in the same period a year earlier, official data showed, weighed down by softer construction, agriculture and manufacturing activity.

A leaked report from the International Monetary Fund said (IMF) earlier this year that Tanzania’s economy has not been expanding as fast as official figures suggest. It said lower growth was partly due to President John Magufuli’s “unpredictable and interventionist”‌ policies.