DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 24 -- THE decision by the Tanzanian Government to ban plastic bags has a huge and positive effect on the strategized blue economy and other countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will be persuaded to do the same.

One of big agenda items for the joint meeting of ministers of environment, natural resources taking place here is initiation of blue economy and taking action to safeguard the environment, so Tanzania as SADC Chair is better poised to influence rest of the 16 countries follow suit.

Assistant Director of the Pollution Control Unit in the Vice-President's Office, Ms Kemilembe Mutasa, said here that environmental and economic issues are interdependent and that if the use of plastic b...