Sweden gives $43 million in budget support

Sweden has given Tanzania 350 million Kronor (US $43 million) in budget support over three years (2003 to 2005), the Swedish embassy in Dar es Salaam announced on Friday, quoting Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation Jan Karlsson. In a statement, the embassy said that Karlsson, who began a three-day visit to Tanzania on Friday, made the announcement when he met the Tanzanian Foreign Minister Jakaya Kikwete. Both men met to review bilateral cooperation between the two countries. "Tanzania is a leader in Africa when it comes to partnership-based development cooperation and harmonisation of aid efforts," Karlsson said. Sweden, he added, had disbursed approximately $70 million in 2002 for various projects in Tanzania, and that it expected to disburse a similar amount in 2003. "We are keen to move in the direction of increasing long-term budget support, thereby reducing transaction costs and promoting predictability and national ownership," Karlsson said. Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland are among the main donors to the Tanzanian government. Karlsson and the Swedish minister for foreign affairs, Anna Lindh, who is on her way to South Africa, were expected to pay a courtesy call on Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa on Monday.