Kilimanjaro - Tanzania Online Gateway

However devaluation of the T.shilling over the years within the
period appears to negate the seemingly big growth. For instance
the region’s GDP in 1980 was Tshs. 1,950 million equivalent to
USA $ 237 million at the exchange rate of Tshs.8.22/Dollar. At
the end of 1994 the region had a GDP of Tshs.72,898 million but
the exchange rate was at Tshs.553/USA $, this was equivalent to
132 million USA $ GDP earning. This data infact tells us that the
region’s economy infact had gone down in real terms. It means
that for the region to earn at the income value of 1980 had to
produce almost twice as much in 1994.
It is observed that throughout the period (1980-1983) the region’s
GDP contribution to the Naitonal GDP had been constant at 5%.
Subsequent years from 1984 to 1989 its contribution gradually
dropped to 2% then surfaced again to 4% from 1990-1994.
Kilimanjaro ranks 10th in GDP contribution to the Nation’s
economy among the Mainland regions as by 1994 (Table X).
A quick look at the Per Capita GDP of the region (Table IX)
shows a similar trend of growth to that of the regional GDP. The
region experienced a per Capita GDP of over USA $ 250 in
1980 - 1982 . This however took a dramatic decline from 1983-
1989 when it went down as low as USA $ 33, then temporarly
improved to 127 USA $ in 1990 but could not sustain much when
it plunged down again to a final rest of 101 Dollars in 1994.
These fluctuations in Per Capita earning in real terms had been
contributed by the unstability of the T.Shilling against the value of
the USA $. For this reason the Kilimanjaro man has experienced
decreasing economic power and ranks 8th in comparison to other
regions in the country (Table XI).
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