Tanzania defends move to withdraw from int’l arbitrations

Xinhua | 13 September 2018

Tanzania defends move to withdraw from int’l arbitrations

DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) — Authorities in Tanzania on Wednesday defended their move to amend public-private partnership (PPP) laws and withdraw from international arbitrations.

Attorney General Adelardus Kilangi told Parliament in the capital Dodoma that local courts were better placed to resolve investment disputes than the international arbitration bodies.

"It is for this reason the government tabled the amendments of the PPP laws so that all disputes arising from government contracts with private entities are heard and determined within the country," Kilangi told the House.

The government’s chief legal advisor said most of the arbitrators in the international bodies were biased, forcing the government to use its own courts which were fair.

Under the amendments of the PPP Act which was approved by the National Assembly on Wednesday, all PPPs agreements, negotiations ad legal disputes shall be done locally.

Kilangi was responding to concerns raised by the opposition camp’s spokesperson for budgetary matters, Halima Mdee, which faulted the amendments saying they appeared set to squeeze the rights and freedoms of investors to seek redress for claims of contractual breaches by the government in neutral courts outside the country.

source: Xinhua