<p></p><p>PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has directed the Cashewnut Board of Tanzania (CBT) to implement his directives of removing five out of nine nuisance taxes that farmers were required to pay. <br></p> <p>Speaking in Mtwara yesterday, the Prime Minister said the removal of the taxes begins in this year’s cashew nut farming season. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Majaliwa made the remarks when he was briefed on the removal of some of the nuisance levies on the cashew nut industry by Mtwara Regional Commissioner, Halima Dendego.“Local government officials at all levels should ensure that these directives are implemented. <br></p> <p>Our objective is to reduce the burden of taxes on farmers so that they can benefit more from their produce,” he said. He said the government decided to remove the levies after realizing that they were a burden to farmers driving them to criticise the warehouse receipt system. <br></p> <p>“From this year, the government has decided that every cashew nut businessperson must make initial payments before going into auction markets so that we can buy the crop and ensure farmers receive their payments on time. <br></p> <p>The Prime Minister also directed the Cashew nut Industry Development Trust Fund to conduct research to determine the reason behind low production of cashews in the country.“I will meet with leaders of the Cashew nut Industry Development Trust Fund so they can tell me what they have done in the last three years and their future plans... if there are no future plans we will take an in-depth look as to why they have a lot of money but cannot even provide seeds to farmers,” he explained. <br></p> <p>In another development, Prime Minister Majaliwa directed the Cashew nut Board of Tanzania to ensure that farmers receive on time better farm inputs to enable them increase production.<br></p><p></p>