People living along Tanzania 's eastern coast and on the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar are getting special funds to help them reduce poverty and improve their living standards.

The Marine and Coastal Environment Management Project has just offered 80,000 U.S. dollars as the kick-off of a total of 800,000 dollars of special funds set aside for this year for the improvement of livelihood and social well-being.

Of the 80,000 dollars, 32,000 dollars were handed over to the coastal communities in Zanzibar, according to reports reaching here on Sunday.

Saleh Pamba, permanent secretary of the Ministry for Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania, said at the handover of the funds that the money had come at a time when there is growing emphasis on scaling up poverty-reduction efforts.

Of the total of 800,000 dollars, 432,000 dollars will aim beneficiaries on the mainland while the remainder will benefit Zanzibaris, according to the government official.

The Marine and Coastal Environment Management Project is a special program aimed at reducing poverty and improving the quality of life for coastal communities in Tanzania.

Source: Xinhua