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Tanzania’s economy
is expected to grow by 7.2 per cent in 2011 from an estimated 7.0
percent this year due to a strong recovery after the global financial
crisis, the country’s president said on Friday.

The government’s
projections for the economy of east Africa’s second biggest economy
beat the International Monetary Fund’s outlook for economic growth of
6.7 per cent in 2011.

Tanzania, Africa’s
fourth biggest gold producer, mainly depends on tourism, mining and
agriculture and is increasingly attracting more investor interest in
telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, financial services and
transport.

“We expect that the
economy will grow by 7 per cent this year, compared with 6 per cent in
2009,” President Jakaya Kikwete said in a year-end national address
televised late on Friday.

“Our expectations are that the economy will grow by 7.2 per cent
during 2011 if everything goes to plan.” A Reuters poll of nine
economists showed in August Tanzania’s economy should grow 6.3 per cent
this year and 6.8 per cent in 2011, thanks to robust activity in all
sectors, while inflation will stay in single digits through to 2011.