ASSOCIATED PRESS
Business mogul Rostam Aziz, one of the Tanzania’s most successful businessmen, has built a $65 million liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage and filling facility in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
According to a report by Tanzania’s Citizen newspaper, the facility, which was constructed by Taifa Gas, one of Rostam Aziz’s companies, is located in the Kigamboni area of Dar es Salaam. The plant was officially launched late June at a ceremony chaired by President John Magufuli and attended by several high profile members of Tanzania’s political class.
Over the years, President Magufuli has worked tirelessly to promote LPG in domestic use across Tanzanian households as a cleaner alternative to charcoal, which is the dominant cooking fuel for many Tanzanian families. Magufuli has often attributed deforestation and environmental degradation to high charcoal use in the country and expressed optimism that Taifa’s new LPG facility would greatly increase LPG production for supply in both urban and rural areas.
“Since 60% of the country’s population lives in rural areas and depends on charcoal and firewood as the main sources of energy, promoting gas use should play a key role in addressing environmental degradation,” Magufuli said, while adding that gas is cheaper than charcoal.
Taifa Gas, which was formerly called Mihan Gas, is the largest LPG supply company in Tanzania. The company, which has built 35 plants and storage facilities in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, is one of the companies founded and controlled by Rostam Aziz.
Rostam Aziz, who was the first Tanzanian billionaire back in 2014, was formerly the largest individual shareholder of mobile operator Vodacom’s operations in Tanzania before he sold his stake for more than $400 million. He owns business interests in mining, port services, agriculture, media and an extensive real estate portfolio in Tanzania, the UAE and Oman.
Credit: www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe