The official launch of the new Olyset Net factory took place in Arusha, Tanzania on 8 February 2008 and was presided over by Tanzanian Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony Mr. Hiromasa Yonekura, President of Sumitomo Chemical, and Mr. Anuj Shah CEO of A to Z Textile Mills, welcomed distinguished guests and partners from around the world to the new facility, which brings production capacity of the long-lasting insecticidal net in Arusha to 10 million nets per year.
Highlights of the programme included remarks from Roll Back Malaria Goodwill Ambassador Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Roll Back Malaria Deputy Director Julian Fleet, and USAID Tanzania Mission Director Pamela White.
Initiated with a royalty-free technology transfer in 2003 – undertaken with the support of the Acumen Fund, Exxon-Mobil, Population Services International, the RBM Partnership, and UNICEF – today the partnership has expanded into a 50/50 joint venture between Sumitomo Chemical and A to Z Textile Mills. As a result, over 3,200 jobs have been created in Arusha, supporting at least 20,000 people.
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- Speeches available upon request
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Photo credits:
Top left: William Daniels
Top right: CameraPix
Bottom left: CameraPix