Tanzanian MPs have unanimously approved Dr. Philip Mpango as the country’s new Vice President.

His name was presented to parliament for approval on Tuesday after Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan nominated him.

“Under the constitution the new Vice president has to be approved by at least 50 per cent of the Members of Parliament,” The Citizen newspaper said.

Dr. Mpango now takes up the VP post which fell vacant after Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as President following the death of Dr John Pombe Magufuli.

Before his nomination, he had been serving as the Minister for Finance and Planning since November 2015.

He previously served as Acting Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA); Executive Secretary in the President’s Office (Planning Commission); Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs as well as Personal Assistant to the President (Economic Affairs).

He also worked as the Head of the President’s Economic Advisory Unit; Senior Economist for the World Bank; Visiting Lecturer in Public Economics, Collaborative Master’s program for Anglo-phone Africa, AERC, Nairobi-Kenya and Lecturer, Economics Department University of Dar es Salaam.