Sweden grants Tanzania aid for social projects

DAR ES SALAAM, Sep 14 (Reuters) Sweden today gave Tanzania aid worth 5 billion Swedish crowns to support education, energy, public sector reforms and Tanzania's general budget, officials said.

''The main areas of cooperation will cover education and research, energy, trade-related private sector development, democratic development and human rights and public sector reforms,'' Tanzania's Finance Ministry and the Swedish Embassy said in a statement.

Of the total amount, 3.8 billion Swedish crowns would target poverty reduction projects with disbursements scheduled from this year until 2010. The remaining 1.2 billion Swedish crowns would go to supplement Tanzania's general budget until 2008.

Tanzania said it would receive 39 per cent of its budget from foreign sources in the 2006/07 (July-June) financial year.

Tanzania is among 19 of the world's poorest countries that had their debts worth 3.3 billion dollars, owed to the International Monetary Fund, cancelled in January.

Its major donors include the African Development Bank, Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Britain, Switzerland, Norway and the World Bank.

Reuters BDP VV1440