DAR ES SALAAM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania announced on Saturday that it has waived import duty for leather processing machines to attract more investments in the leather industry.

Kitila Mkumbo, the Minister for Industry and Trade, told parliament in the capital Dodoma that the government has also waived import duty for materials used in processing leather.

"The waiver of the import duty is among efforts by the government aimed at encouraging local processing of leather products in the country," Mkumbo told the House when he tabled his ministry's budget proposals for the 2021/2022 financial year.

He said his ministry has started implementing a project aimed at training 419 livestock keepers in three districts of Arusha region on how to add value on hides and skins.

Mkumbo said the project is being undertaken by the state-run Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organization and financed by the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology.

According to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Tanzania currently has 33.4 million head of cattle, 21.29 million goats and 5.65 million sheep. - Xinhua