cvi. However, although legislation and policies exist to promote governance in all four thematic areas, they are not always implemented. While institutions have been established, some function ineffectively. Well-intentioned and clearly articulated goals need to be followed through. cvii. Another reason for the gap between plans and implementation, appears to be deficiencies and gaps in capacity. Accordingly, as a matter of top priority, the Government and people of Tanzania should focus on building state capacity to effectively and efficiently implement policies and programmes. There is also a need to build capacity for other stakeholders, especially CSOs, to transform them into change agents and effective advocates of the people. c. Land Governance Issues cviii. In recent years, large-scale acquisitions of farmland in Africa, Latin America, Central Asia and Southeast Asia have captured global media attention. Land that only a short time ago seemed of little interest to outsiders is now being sought by international investors to the tune of hundreds of thousands of hectares (IIED, FAO and IFAD, 2009). International press reports abound of these so-called ‘land grabs’ – whereby investment funds buy into agribusinesses – and are becoming a major problem in Africa. While international land deals are emerging as a global phenomenon, little is known about this phenomenon in sub-Saharan Africa. Primary and secondary data on land acquisitions in Africa is scarce and often of limited reliability. cix. This is the background to land governance issues in Tanzania. In all the regions visited by the CRM, and especially in mining areas, there was a general consensus among stakeholders who spoke at the various CRM meetings about growing land problems in Tanzania and a call for comprehensive solutions. cx. Without any doubt, land is central to livelihoods, the culture and identity of the majority of Tanzanians who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Despite Tanzania’s large territory, rural people frequently experience land disputes and insecurity of land tenure. Land tenure is becoming a serious problem in the country. Media now reports of local people losing their land to foreign and commercial investors in Tanzania. This has given rise to the problem of internally displaced persons (IDPs), discussed in this report. According to local media reports, the IDP problem stems from the trading off of land without the consent of the local people. cxi. These deals are often shrouded in secrecy so that the extent to which this is happening is not apparent, and also because it is not clear who is benefiting from these deals. Lack of transparency, and of checks and balances in contract negotiations, creates a breeding ground for corruption and deals that are far from being in the public interest. Insecure rights for state-owned land use, inaccessible registration procedures, vaguely defined productive use requirements, legislative gaps, and compensation limited to loss of improvements like crops and trees (thus excluding loss of land), all undermine the position of local people. cxii. The APR Panel cautions that the Government of Tanzania should treat the land issue sensitively. Although on paper Tanzania seems to have progressive laws and procedures seeking to increase local voice and benefits, prevailing systems need to be improved to ensure equity in land ownership. Government needs to step up efforts towards adopting a responsive land tenure framework. cxiii. If not handled properly, large-scale land acquisitions can have lasting repercussions on rural people’s futures. They may lose the land, water and other resources that have supported their livelihoods for generations, while the jobs created in return may be few, short-lived, and low-paid. d. Natural Resource Management cxiv. Natural resource management and, more specifically, the management of mineral resources, hascome across as a matter of grave concern across all four thematic areas, and throughout the stakeholder consultations strong pronouncements were made. General sentiment points to the following nine areas of concern relating to the governance of natural resources: • Overly generous tax advantages, tax evasion, and national revenue losses; • ‘Bad contracts’; 15