Professor Mohammed Hafidh Khalfan, an esteemed academician and Associate Professor in International Economics from Putra University in Malaysia, has been recently appointed by His Excellency, the President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, H.E. Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, to lead the newly established Presidential Delivery Bureau (PDB) for a term of one year.
This distinguished academic, known for his towering intellect and gentle demeanor, is precisely the catalyst Zanzibar needs at this juncture. His appointment heralds a new era of dynamism and vision, promising to invigorate both the investment and financial sectors, propelling Zanzibar closer to its aspiration of becoming a beacon of island economy excellence akin to Singapore or Mauritius.
The mandate of the Bureau, under his leadership, is to streamline and expedite the implementation of the government’s strategic priority projects, ensuring the realization of tangible and transformative results for socio-economic development. The overarching goal is to actualize the Blue Economy vision, ushering in a new era of sustainable prosperity for Zanzibar.
The meticulous search for the right candidate took time, particularly as the emphasis was placed on finding an individual with deep insights into the Zanzibar economy and a well-established presence within its economic circles. Professor Khalfan emerged as the perfect fit for the role, embodying the requisite expertise and familiarity with the intricacies of Zanzibar’s economic landscape.
Who is Professor Mohammed Hafidh Khalfan
Prior to his appointment, Professor Mohammed, a 59-year-old Zanzibari native, had a diverse professional background encompassing academia, mentorship, consultancy, and research. His multifaceted career path exposed him to various Boards, facilitating active engagements in discussions aimed at fortifying public-private dialogue, advocacy, lobbying, and marketing initiatives.
Currently, Professor Mohammed holds the esteemed positions of Chairman at the Zanzibar Research Centre for Socio-Economic Policy Analysis (ZRCP), the Zanzibar Fair Competition Commission, and the Office of Zanzibar Controller and Auditor General. Additionally, he served as Vice Chairperson of the Board of the Peoples Bank of Zanzibar (PBZ) during his tenure.
All the time his main preoccupation has been lecturing in several courses in Economics, Development, Finance and Islamic Finance and Administration at the University of Zanzibar and other institutions.
Prof. Mohammed, a father of 3 male children and 3 female children and has previously worked at the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA), the SOS Children’s Village, Zanzibar University, Bank of Tanzania and the Zanzibar National Chamber of Commerce. During his tenure as the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, he was Co-Chair of the team that prepared the Zanzibar National Export Strategy (NES) under the Commonwealth Secretariat and also participated as a Senior Judge in the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fairs for several seasons.
Prof. Mohammed has also participated as an observer in several local and regional elections including being in a team of Southern Africa Development Community SADC Eminent Persons Group in the 2018 Zimbabwe Elections, he was part of the International Observer Mission again to asses Zimbabwe’s Harmonized General Elections held on August 23, 2023.
In 2015, he was honored to speak to the African Union (AU) panel of Eminent Personalities in Addis-Ababa.
In 2015, he was honored to speak to the African Union (AU) panel of Eminent Personalities in Addis-Ababa.
On the provisions of social service in the line of philanthropy, Prof. Mohammed is known to be committed to in assisting people in need. For instance, he has been actively involved in helping the needy students in getting funding for their tertiary education through UKUEM Education Fund. He was thus rightly appointed to chair the Zanzibar Higher Institution Loans Board where he also left his marks.
He is also an advisor and a mentor to a number of youths involved in entrepreneurship or innovation and is the current Chairperson of Kanga Maternity Trust (KMT), an NGO established in Zanzibar aiming at reducing maternal mortality and care for newly born babies.
Bringing in immense experience
Professor Mohammed is a seasoned economist with a rich and diverse professional background, having contributed his expertise to various government entities, multinational organizations such as UNICEF, UNDP, ILO, and the World Bank, as well as numerous business organizations including the Business Development Gateway (BDG), the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation, and the Zanzibar Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture, among others.
His extensive experience working with these esteemed organizations underscores his suitability to lead the newly established Presidential Delivery Bureau (PDB). In this capacity, he is well-equipped to support the President of Zanzibar in his efforts to revitalize the economy through initiatives focused on tourism and the development of a Blue Economy. With a strong team under his leadership, Professor Mohammed is poised to spearhead transformative strategies that will propel Zanzibar towards sustainable economic growth and prosperity.
Achievement garnered
Over the course of his work, Prof. Mohammed has participated in the preparation of the first ever comprehensive study on small medium enterprises in Zanzibar, a study which highlighted the nature of SME’s and their potential in contributing to the Zanzibar economic growth and poverty reduction. Through his work at the ZNCCIA, he managed to improve teamwork that contributed to attract more members to join the body and attracting donor support.
With ZNCCIA institution gaining wide public acceptance it helped persuading Best-AC to extend its financial support for 3 additional years. He also instituted a regular monitoring and evaluation system that assisted in understanding Foreign Direct Investment FDI activities in Zanzibar by observing the trend of investment flows and performance in terms of employment creation and tax contribution while at ZIPA.
Among Prof. Mohammed most outstanding achievement has been through the introduction of courses on Islamic economics, Islamic banking as well as Islamic insurance to economic students. This has added value to students’ credentials and making the graduates informed agents in transforming East African financial sector to be more inclusive, wherever they are employed. No wonder, the Islamic Banking is now trending in many banks in both Zanzibar and Tanzania Mainland.
Prof. Mohammed has also been honored with various appointments from ministers as well as Zanzibar Presidents to undertake a number of assignments like the Role of Zakat as a Safety net by the ILO, the restructuring of Zanzibar State Trade Corporation, transformation of the Waqf and Trust Commission, a study on Non-Tariff Barriers between Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania, and also to carry out a study on the impact of Zanzibar Population Growth rate on Economic Growth, and many several other such assignments with various bodies and organizations.
Government and the public expectation
There is no doubt that the newly appointed head of the Presidential Delivery Bureau (PDB), Professor Mohammed Hafidh Khalfan, brings a wealth of expertise and qualifications to the table. With a degree in International Economics from Putra University in Malaysia, as well as an MSc and a BSc in Economics from the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan, Professor Khalfan possesses the necessary academic background to drive positive change in Zanzibar’s economy.
The government and the public alike are hopeful that this accomplished academician, brimming with enthusiasm, will play a pivotal role in catalyzing transformation and delivering tangible outcomes in key areas such as the Blue Economy, tourism, infrastructure, and social services, which fall under the purview of the PDB’s mandate. With Professor Khalfan at the helm, there is optimism for a brighter future not only for Zanzibar but also for Tanzania and the wider region.
