DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) — Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Wednesday launched the East African nation’s SDG Investor Map, a market intelligence tool guiding the private sector in identifying investment themes that have significant potential to advance the sustainable development goals.

The Tanzania SDGs Investor Map seeks to address the need for more private capital to be channeled toward emerging opportunities and for funding to contribute to the SDGs.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Stergomena Tax launched the platform on behalf of the prime minister at the official opening of the first-ever Tanzania SDG Investment Forum held in the port city of Dar es Salaam.

The forum, which brought together over 200 domestic and foreign investors in the conference room and 300 online from across the world, aims to mobilize capital for the investment opportunities identified by the SDG Investor Map.

The Tanzania SDG Investor Map was developed by the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for investment, the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the Tanzania Investment Center (TIC), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Tanzania country office.

“To our foreign and local investors, I once again welcome you to invest in Tanzania. Please feel free to call in Tanzania Investment Center, which is the first point of call for potential investors,” said Majaliwa.

He added that the TIC was the primary agency of the government responsible for coordinating, promoting, and facilitating investors who express interest in setting up business in Tanzania.

UNDP Resident Representative in Tanzania Christine Musisi said one of the major obstacles identified by the UNDP is the limited availability of market intelligence information around SDG investment opportunities.

To address this information gap, the UNDP developed the SDG Investor Map methodologies, which provide market intelligence to help private investors to identify investment opportunities in key areas of the economy and to make clear, actionable data that combines impact and profit, Musisi said.

“Investing in the SDGs should not only be desirable but a practical decision that contributes to a sustainable future for us all,” she said, adding that achieving the SDGs will create a world that is more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous.

Deputy Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade Exaud Kigahe said foreign and domestic investment can play a significant role in bridging the investment gap and achieving the SDGs.

The SDGs or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030. ■