Indicative land plot prices out

THE government will this week release indicative prices for the sale of land plots countrywide as a measure to protect buyers, the Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Ms Angeline Mabula, has said. Moreover, she said, it is illegal for land officers to acquire people’s land before paying them the needed compensation.

She gave the announcement at the National Assembly here yesterday when responding to a number of questions posed to her ministry during the question and answer session.

Responding to question by Mr Faustine Ndungulile (Kigamboni - CCM), who wanted to know when the government will waive its stop order of surveying and sale of plots in Kigamboni areas, Ms Mabula said the move aimed at coming up with indicative prices for sale of land plots.

“We have decided to stop the survey by private companies so that we come up with indicative prices as there others who were selling them at the exorbitant prices,” she said.

She gave an example of Kigamboni where there are three private companies surveying the plots for sale whereas they range between 20,000/-, 15,000/- and 10,000/- per square metre, which, she described as unrealistic.

“We also survey and sale plots, but the prices offered by private companies are unrealistic, that is why we decided to stop the process as we come up with indicative prices which will be out this week” said Ms Mabula.

She was reacting to the main question by Ms Lucy Magereli (Special seats- CHADEMA), who wanted to know the government’s plans to ensure that the Master Plans are available in all municipalities as a land use and city plan toolkit.

The deputy minister said the Master Plan and City Plan architects were supposed to be available in all responsible authorities in cities, town council, municipal and district councils.

She noted that lands conflicts needed special attention and that is why her ministry had for a start, issued the master plan to all local government chairpersons in Dar es Salaam as key persons in dealing with the problem.

Ms Mabula stated that the government was intending to empower the local government chairpersons as key partners in implementing proper land use by training them to have capacity to read the master plan and stand by their intended use.

“They have to be given the basic skills to be able to read the master plans and at the end of the day they will be guided by the earmarked land use when endorsing land sale” she said.

Ms Anna Lupembe (Special Seats-CCM), wanted to know when the government will start issue land certificates for Kichangani residents in Mpanda Urban District to which the deputy minister said they were still demarcating the areas before issuing the plots.

Ms Mabula told the House that it is forbidden for a land officer to acquire land from the people regardless of the intended use before paying them appropriate compensation. “It is forbidden to acquire people’s land or farms without completing all proper acquisition rules, including compensation.

Land officers must be guided by this,” she directed. She added that the government is also working on the land conflicts involving Kibada residents in Kigamboni to verify the land certificates for the contested areas before allowing them to go ahead with construction.

WB disburses funds for rural electrification

THE World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved 200m US dollars from the International Development Association for Tanzania Rural Electrification Expansion Programme. A newly approved loan for the programme will connect 2.5 million poor households in rural areas to the national electricity grid over the next five years.

The Programme aims to build on the recent achievements of expanding nationwide access to 36 per cent in 2014. In addition, the Programme will scale up the supply of renewable energy in rural areas while strengthening sector institutional capacity.

“Access to electricity is critical to extend economic opportunities and reduce poverty,” noted Bella Bird, World Bank Country Director in Tanzania, who also covers Malawi, Burundi and Somalia.

“This programme not only offers the opportunity for many more Tanzanians to have access to power in their homes and businesses, but also enables small power producers to access finance to invest in production, including with renewable energy sources,” she added.

The Tanzanian government is currently implementing a national energy policy whose goal is to increase the country’s overall electricity connectivity to 50 per cent by 2025 and to at least 75 per cent by 2033.

The National Rural Electrification Programme (2013–2022) under which the new Programme is to be implemented, includes both on-grid and off-grid solutions and has four priorities.

These are the connection of new customers to the grid in already electrified settlements; new connections to the grid; electrification through off-grid investments and the development of distributed technologies, in particular off-grid solar and other renewable technologies.

In addition to household beneficiaries, the financing will also benefit 25,000 education facilities, 25,000 health facilities, 150,000 businesses. Small Power Projects will also benefit from access to capital to enable them to contribute 33MW in renewable energy under the Programme.

The respective implementing institutions, including the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, as well as the Rural Electrification Agency will benefit from capacity strengthening to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability.

“The Programme comes at a time when the government has embarked upon an important long-term power sector restructuring plan which will greatly improve transparence, performance and efficiency that are vital for future expansion achievements,” said Nataliya Kulichenko, the World Bank’s Senior Energy Specialist and Task Team Leader.

Recent increases in access have been attributed to key government actions including a 2013 Parliamentary resolution that resulted in more financing to the Rural Energy Fund using a petroleum levy and the reduction in connection fees for the final consumer owing to improved technologies as well as an increase in government subsidies, effective since January 2013.

The World Bank is supporting ongoing projects in Tanzania’s energy sector including power generation and capacity strengthening in addition to two recent development policy operations in 2013 and 2014.

Among the recent significant achievements registered in the sector is the progress of the gas-to-power programme - a key medium to long-term cost reduction measure, enabled by the completion of a large gas transmission pipeline, connecting producing fields in Mtwara and Songo-Songo to Dar es Salaam.

A new 150MW gas power plant (Kinyerezi I) has been completed while the construction of another 240MW gas power plant (Kinyerezi II) has also begun.

With the increased gas production and gas becoming available to all existing and newly commissioned power plants in Dar es Salaam area, this has eliminated the need for using more costly liquid fuels in those plants and significantly reduced the cost of generation.

1 trillion/- revenue collection target for ports authority

THE newly-appointed Board of Directors of the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has been directed to increase ports revenue to one trillion/- from 623bn/- collected annually and stem all rot that have led to inefficiency at the ports.

The directive was issued in Dar es Salaam by the Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Professor Makame Mbarawa, insisting that the government was determined to improve the performance of the country’s ports as important sector towards promoting economic development.

Speaking during the inauguration of the board, Prof Mbarawa said the government has been losing revenue due to poor infrastructure of the sea gateways, especially at the Dar es Salam Port.

He explained that a team of experts formed by the government to investigate on ports infrastructures has discovered a number of shortfalls which have greatly contributed to the loss of revenue.

“The government has been losing ports revenue due to poor infrastructure but, if our ports could have systems with international standards, such loss could have been contained,” he observed.

He, however, directed that stringent action be taken against port officials who were mentioned in the report for blessing the installation of sub-standard infrastructure at the port.

Prof Mbarawa said that warning letters should not be part of the disciplinary measures since the officials have caused the government to suffer a loss of billions of money. “I am warning you; I would not like to hear that these people have only been served with warning letters.

You should transfer them to other ports in the peripherals,” he said. He further noted that the country’s economic growth can be promoted by having a better ports’ infrastructure.

He explained that the improvement of TPA infrastructures should include all major ports; namely Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Tanga, Kigoma, Mwanza - and all other ports under the authority.

“The board should make sure that it set out plans for the construction of a good infrastructure at our ports to meet the current demand,” Prof Mbarawa said. Prof Mbarawa, however, challenged TPA to establish marketing unit to attract more traders to use the Dar es Salaam Port.

He said cargo volume at the port has continued to decline as traders have opted to use the Durban Port in South Africa and Namibian ports because TPA lacked marketing strategies for its ports. “How can you survive in this competitive market without marketing your ports,” Prof Mbarawa queried.

The minister further tasked the board to split up a network of port officials who work for their own interests thus affecting the ports’ efficiency. “Some TPA officials have been using their own companies to provide services at the port while others have been employing their relatives or friends.

Such acts have adversely impacted on the performance on our ports,” he observed. Prof Mbarawa vowed to ensure that all TPA officials who were transferred to the ministry are not assigned to work with the authority again as they may strengthen their network, which has been an obstacle to the development of the ports.

On the flow meters at the Kurasini Oil Jetty (KOJ), which have been out of function for some time, the minister directed the board to ensure that the meters are repaired or also they should purchase new ones to enable the government to earn revenue.

For his part, TPA Board Chairman, Professor Ignas Rubalatuka, promised to work hard with high integrity to improve the performance of the ports.

“I will make sure that all directives given to the board are implemented as issued by the minister,” he said.

The TPA board is formed by nine members namely, Jeffeer Mchano, Tanzania Investment Bank Director for Planning and Service, Engineer Deusdedit Kakoko, Tanzania National Roads Agency Projects Manager, Malata Pascal, Assistant Director, Division of Litigation and Arbitration and Dr Jabir Bakari from the Government Network Agency, President’s Office, Public Service and Good Governance.

Others are Masanja Kadogosa, Acting Director General of Tanzania Railway Limited, Azizi Kilonge, Executive Director, AM Consulting, Dr Francis Michael, Senior Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam and Jayne Nyimbo, Human Resources Expert at Carteck Tanzania. In December, last year, President John Magufuli relieved Dr Shaaban Mwinjaka of his duties as Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Transport and dissolved the Board of Directors of TPA.

He has also revoked the appointment of the board’s chair, Professor Joseph Msambichaka and the authority’s Director General, Mr Awadhi Massawe. The move followed a visit by Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa.

The prime minister told reporters that President Magufuli has dissolved the board and revoked appointments of the leaders on grounds of ‘very poor performance’ at the authority’s echelons of power and management’s inaction in the wake of scandals at the country’s major port.

Yanga opponents rue missing star

YOUNG Africans’ next CAF Confederation Cup group stage opponents, TP Mazembe are likely to miss services of their Zambian international striker Given Singuluma in their June 28 group matches at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

It was revealed in the website of TP Mazembe, the former CAF Champions League champs, Singuluma is in doubt of playing in the Dar es Salaam match as he has dislocated his left elbow in the last Sunday Confederation Cup group stage game against Ghana’s Medeama SC.

Singuluma fell when he was trying to charge past Medeama defence and his left arm sustained injury. He was stretched out of the pitch and rushed to the emergency department where it was revealed that the striker had dislocated his left elbow.

Fortunately for the Mazembe striker, the injury had no fracture as team’s medical team earlier feared since it could have forced him out of the pitch for a long period.

Singuluma was scheduled to return to hospital yesterday for neurological examinations (scanner). And according to medical report, the Zambian international may be out of the pitch for 3 to 6 weeks if no muscle or nerve damage is discovered.

So far, TP Mazembe who kicked off their group stage campaign in a positive note after defeating Medeama 3-1 in Lubambashi, DR Congo, are leading in the Group. Rainford Kalaba’s brace and Coulibaly’s goal helped TP Mazembe to secure victory over Medeama who had taken an early lead through Malik Akowuah who put his side ahead in the 5th minute of the game.

While Mazembe might face the blow their hosts in the second game Young Africans who lost 1-0 in their opener in Algeria last Sunday are back in Antalya, Turkey to proceed with the preps for the game against Mazembe which is slated for June 28.

Hans van der Pluijm squad is expected to have a five-day training camp in Antalya as they did before clashing Algeria’s MO Bejaia and return home a few days before their eagerly awaited clash against Mazembe.

Yanga who failed to utilize the service of their four newly signed players Hassan Ramadhan ‘Kessy’ , Vincent Andrew, Juma Mahadhi and Beno Kakolanya, despite having their licences from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will also be seeking ways of finalizing other procedures so they can use the players in the game against the Congolese side.

Other group A match will see Ghana’s Medeama facing Algerian side MO Bejaia at the Sekondi Stadium in Ghana on June 29. Mazembe, last year’s African Champions League winners, who were demoted from the continent’s elite club competition to the Confederation cup are leading group A despite tying points with Mo Bejaia due to goals difference.

While Yanga are placed third and Medeama are at the bottom of the group, despite both sides losing their openers.

Medeama have yet to win away in Africa this year and face a financial challenge, with trips still to come to Algeria and Tanzania in the group phase. Should they finish bottom of the standings, they will receive only $150,000 (105,000 euros) prize money.

Nnauye at Airtel Rising Stars

All is set for the launch of the U-17 football talent scouting tournament known Airtel Rising Stars in the city this Sunday.

The sixth edition of the youth soccer talent show comes under the umbrella of another youth empowering initiative dubbed Fursa.

The launch ceremony will be held at Airtel Tanzania Headquarters on June 26 and the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Nape Nnauye will be the event’s guest of honour.

The launch will be also attended by numerous football stakeholders including coaches, officials of clubs, football administrators, former Airtel Rising Stars players and the media, according to Airtel Tanzania’s Public Relations Manager Jackson Mmbando He said for the past five years, Airtel Rising Stars programme has brought to light hundreds of talented girls and boys across the country and Africa as a whole.

Season six of Airtel Rising Stars is once again set to provide a life time opportunity for youth to showcase their talent and realize their dreams. According to a calendar issued by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the tournament will get underway at the grassroots from July 23rd to August 28th and culminate into the national finals to be held in Dar es Salaam from 6th to 11th September.

This year tournament will draw participants from Mwanza, Morogoro, Mbeya, Temeke, Ilala and Morogoro regions in boys’ category while Ilala, Kinondoni, Temeke, Arusha, Lindi and Zanzibar will take part in girls’ category.

“We look back with pride and satisfaction as players realised from this programme are now making great contribution in various teams, ranging from clubs to national teams”, said Mmbando.

Since its inception in 2011, Airtel Rising Stars has touched the lives of thousands of budding football players, giving them the opportunity to realise their potential. The ongoing Airtel FURSA campaign was launched in the country last year and is aimed at empowering youth by providing them with various enabling opportunities.

“Airtel Rising Stars constitute part of these initiatives as its ultimate objective is empowering and transforming the lives of the youth who are passionate about football,” said Mmbando.

Last year, Airtel was involved in a campaign dubbed ‘It’s Now’ which sought to nurture and grow talent in Africa through various consumer touch points such as sports, lifestyle and music while providing customers with access to connectivity and technological solutions that enabled them explore opportunities around them.

The campaign was spearheaded by Ivory Coast’s captain and Manchester City’s prolific midfield Yaya Toure.

Yanga dispute CAF’s Game 2 date

THE Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) and Young Africans are at loggerheads following controversy emerged on the date of the Confederation Cup match between the club and TP Mazembe.

The controversy emerged after the federation announced the Group A match between the team and the former CAF Champions League champions, TP Mazembe to be held on June 28 at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam contrary to June 29 which Yanga preferred.

Yanga, through their Head of Information and communication, Jerry Muro unveiled that their match against Mazembe will instead be held on June 29 and not on June 28 as TFF announced. Muro said his club has mandate to pick the date of the game and decided June 29 a suitable one.

Reached for verification on the actual date of the match, the TFF Information Officer, Alfred Lucas told the Daily News yesterday in Dar es Salaam that the date of the match as per the Confederation of Africans Football (CAF) is June 28 and not otherwise.

“The federation early this week received Yanga and TP Mazembe match information from CAF unveiling that the match will be held on June 28 and with official kick off at 16:00 pm,” he said.

According to Lucas, CAF further went on to reveal the names of the match officials as referee Janny Sikazwe from Zambia who will be assisted by referees Jarson Emiliano dos Santos and Berhe O’Michael from Angola and Eritrea respectively. "…and as affiliates of CAF we abide with the instructions,” he disclosed.

Lucas disclosed that Yanga had wider chance to select the three dates given by CAF for their fixture against TP Mazembe, but they failed to confirm to the Confederation which date they preferred among the three, June 28, 29 and 30, that is why CAF had decided to pick June 28.

However, Lucas unveiled that club officials have approached the federation requesting its assistance in requesting CAF to extend the date of their clash with TP Mazembe from June 28 to June 29 and also extend the match kick off time from 16:00 to 19:30.

According to Lucas reasons given by Yanga to seek the extension of match’s date and kick off time are not strong enough. Yanga who currently pitched their training camp at Antalya in Turkey ahead of TP Mazembe game, are expected to jet in groups on Sunday and Monday as there is no direct flight to accommodate all squad members.

Adding, he said Yanga also claimed the holy month of Ramadan has forced them to request the extension of kick off from 16:00 to 19:30 as some of the players and officials are Moslems.

“Yanga Secretary General came to TFF last night (Tuesday) requesting the federation to assist them in asking CAF to reschedule the match date and kick off time from Tuesday, June 28 to Wednesday June 29 and the kick off time to be 19:30 from 16:00,” he unveiled.

Lucas said the federation has already sent the request to CAF and they are now waiting for their reply but, things stand as they are until further notice from the Confederation.

Hans van der Pluijm squad lost 1-0 to Algeria’s MO Bejaia in their group opener while Mazembe who were demoted from the continent's elite club competition to the Confederation cup won 3-1 against Ghana’s Medeama in Lubumbashi last Sunday.

Other group A match will see Ghana’s Medeama facing Algerian side MO Bejaia in a match to be played at the Sekondi Stadium in Ghana on June 29.

Mazembe is currently leading group A followed by Mo Bejaia while Yanga is in the third slot and Medeama are at the bottom of the group, Yanga and Medeama have no points as they both lost their openers 1-0 and 3-1 respectively.

Magufuli explains job freeze

PRESIDENT John Magufuli came out strongly to clarify why the government decided to freeze new employment opportunities in the public service, saying the move is aimed at stamping out phantom workers in the government’s payroll.

Dr Magufuli said the decision to halt employment in the public service was temporary, assuring those aspiring to secure jobs in the next financial year to wait for at least two months so that the government could accomplish its exercise to weed out ghost workers.

The head of state, who was speaking at the climax of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), gave the clarification, shocking job seekers, who were waiting for jobs up for grabs in the public sector - as members of the trade unions called for suspension of the decision.

“I decided that we should end contradictions because as the government was struggling to clear non-existent workers, the public service continued recruiting new staff,’’ he said, adding:

“You are struggling to eliminate phantom workers in the payroll, while at the same time another person is employing new people, which make it even difficult to realise if those who are currently being employed are also ghost workers.’’

Dr Magufuli said after realising that there were some mistakes committed, it was always good to correct them before moving forward, although, he noted, he was aware that there were some people who were asking themselves why there were no new jobs.

Public Service Management Permanent Secretary (PS) Laurean Ndumbaro issued a circular on June 13 that directed all permanent secretaries, heads of departments, directors, heads of government institutions and chief executive officers of government agencies to freeze new employments as well as stop all salary increments to public servants.

The circular further directed that all permits for sabbatical leaves should be revoked and that transfer of public servants to other offices by awarding them huge salaries that they were receiving in their previous offices should also be halted.

Dr Magufuli asked senior BoT officials and the Treasury to supervise all financial institutions by collecting revenues in all transactions made, including mobile phone money transfers. “Statistics indicate that in March alone, the transactions that were made by telecoms companies stood at 5.5 trillion/- while the amount of tax remitted to state coffers is unknown,’’ he said.

At the ceremony that was held at the BoT Hall, the president launched two books that contains details on finance and economy. The ceremony coincided with a symposium to discuss the presentation on how to get money for various development projects and the issues of soft loans and grants by Professor Justin Lin of Beijing University in China.

Apart from proper collection of government revenue, the government directed BoT and the Treasury to put measures in place that would ensure that the revenue assurance system was working.

Dr Magufuli further asked senior officials to ensure that they supervise tax collection in mining companies as well as ensuring that they seal loop holes for tax evasion.

“There have been instances where a mining company operates in the country for 10 years but still its officials are telling you that they don’t make any profit … if that is the case, they better go back to their countries,’’ he stated.

The president said it was better to stay with the country’s precious gems even for a thousand years, insisting that it was not a sin to leave the pits for the next generation. On pension, the head of state asked officials in the financial sector to ensure that they deal with ghost pension beneficiaries in the public service.

“I understand that there are 2,800 guest workers, who were paid pensions through NMB Bank amounting to 7bn/-, said Dr Magufuli, directing officials to ensure that the money was recovered.

Kuwait donates to government 300 school desks

THE Embassy of the State of Kuwait in Dar es Salaam yesterday became the first embassy to donate 300 desks to the government of Tanzania in a bid to support President John Magufuli’s decision to provide free primary and secondary education in the country.

According to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, the Kuwaiti government has also assured Tanzania that it will support the country by providing various training on Oil and Gas in its quest to boost the country’s education sector.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony in Dar es Salaam, Kuwaiti Ambassador in Tanzania, Jasem Al-Najem said the donation of wooden desks was part of his government’s education project to support Dr Magufuli’s initiative to deliver free education to Tanzanians.

“A few days ago I met Dr Mahiga and we held talks, one of the issues that we discussed was the issue of desks, and it is because of that meeting we have decided to hand over these desks,’’ he said.

On Wednesday, Mr Al-Najem handed over 50 desks to Dr Mahiga, promising to deliver the remaining 250 desks that he pledged in the next few days. Dr Mahiga said the donation of desks was a clear indication that the Kuwaiti government was fully committed in ensuring that the country’s education system was advancing.

‘Kuwait has become the first country among our friends to respond to my appeal to them to support us, but the Permanent Secretary informed me that more embassies have already expressed their desire to support us,’’ he said.

According to the minister, for the country to become a middle income country, there was a need to invest in education. “There is no any investment anywhere in the world than an investment in education,” he added.

He said since the Head of State announced free primary and secondary education, the main challenge remained on desks because the number of pupils and students increased by 100 percent.

Bilateral ties, DITF on Kagame Dar itinerary

RWANDAN President Paul Kagame is expected in Dar es Salaam on July 1 to begin a state visit to Tanzania, during which he will open the 40th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) and hold talks aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

According to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, the state visit by the Rwandan leader follows an invitation extended to him by President John Magufuli.

During the tour, Mr Kagame and his host are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the areas of cooperation between the two countries that were finalised by a joint committee of experts from both countries.

The two neighbouring countries last month agreed to form a joint implementation committee (JIC) to closely monitor important areas of bilateral agreed during the 14th session of the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC).

They agreed to bolster bilateral ties in various key sectors, including strengthening relationship in the aviation sector, especially between the two countries’ national airlines - Rwandair and Air Tanzania.

The meeting also agreed to fast-track infrastructure development on the central corridor, which combines road and railway network - as an essential trade and transport route linking the two countries with neighbouring Burundi, Uganda and the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Other areas of cooperation include increasing the pace on the construction of the envisaged multi-trillion shilling standard gauge central railway line project.

The 14th JPC meeting came following the directives issued by President Magufuli and his Rwandan counterpart in Kigali in April during the former’s maiden trip outside the country since he was elected into office last October.

This means the signing ceremony of the MoU will be putting in record the areas of bilateral ties between the two countries. “The signing ceremony of the MoU will be held upon arrival at the Magogoni State House in Dar es Salaam on July 1,’’ said Ambassador Mahiga.

Later in the day, Mr Kagame and his team will proceed to the Saba Saba Grounds along Kilwa Road in the city to launch the DITF, also known as Saba Saba Trade Fair. Dr Magufuli will later in the evening host a state banquet in honour of the visitor and his entire delegation.

According to Dr Mahiga, the state visit by President Kagame is in response to the one Dr Magufuli paid to Rwanda in a special programme to enhance good working relations between Tanzania and her neighbours.

During Dr Magufuli’s state visit to Rwanda, the two presidents pledged to strengthen relations to enable their citizens to work together for their mutual benefit and accelerated development.

Mr Kagame’s visit will be the first since Dr Magufuli was elected president. He will be the second head of state to visit Tanzania since Dr Magufuli took oath of office in November, last year. The first was Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.

UK pumps in 47bn/- for local refugee care

AS the world marks the Refugee Day today, the United Kingdom has announced an additional 15 million pounds (47.158bn/-) in humanitarian aid to help the ever-increasing displaced Burundians in Tanzania.

The support brings the total UK assistance to the current refugee influx to £29.25 million (90bn/-) since June 2015.

This follows a previously provided £14.25 million for food, medical care and clean water to help the growing number of Burundians who have fled their country since April 2015 to seek refuge in Tanzania.

The additional funds will help provide food, water, social services and education for the refugees as well as providing more support to the Tanzanian communities that are hosting them.

In a latest count, the number of Burundian refugees in Tanzania has now reached 143,000, which is over half of the 267,000 Burundian refugees in the region, with up to 100 continuing to arrive daily.

“Today we mark the World Refugee Day and Tanzania continues to be an example to the world in opening its doors to those who are fleeing persecution ... the international community must play its part as well,’’ noted a media communiqué issued by the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development, which added: ‘’That is why the UK is today providing an additional £15m to help ensure that these refugees, especially women and children, are given the security, dignity and basic services, such as food and water, that are essential for their lives”.

It went on to add that the world must also recognise that “the Tanzanian communities that are so kindly hosting these refugees. That is why some of this new funding will also support them.”

The new funding by the UK aid agency seeks to provide an additional £5 million to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to help provide health care, social services and education for refugees and address some of the environmental pressures that the camps are exerting on local communities.

It also provides £4 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) to help provide essential food supplies to the refugees; £1.5 million to OXFAM to improve water and sanitation and support host communities and £2.5 for contingency funding in the event of a rapid change in circumstances.

Up to £2m will be pumped to the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) to enable it to support the management of refugee camps and to build classrooms for some of the 80,000 Burundian children now living in the camps.

The Head of UK International Development in Tanzania, Vel Gnanendran, said “ensuring that the basic needs of these refugees continue to be met is therefore critical. So too is supporting the Tanzanian host communities so that they are able to see benefits from the camps”.

Total UK support across the Region for the Burundian Refugee Crisis is now £36.15 million ($ 50 million). Burundi was plunged into a political crisis when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term.

Procurement Act revise to target special groups

PROPOSED amendments to the Public Procurement Act of 2011 are expected, among others; to enhance participation of local traders and special groups in public purchases and discourage importation of goods and services in the domestic market.

The Commissioner of Public Procurement in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Mr Fredrick Mwakibinga, explained here that priority for awarding tenders will be on industries and companies producing goods and services using local materials; and with the local labour force of 80 per cent.

“In the same vein, local government authorities will be required to allocate 30 per cent of their tenders to special groups in their communities including women, youth and disabled,” Mr Mwakibinga said here yesterday during an awareness seminar to parliamentarians.

Mr Mwakibinga said the proposed amendments are crucial to enhance efficiency and transparency in public procurement; given the fact that 70pc of the government budget is channelled to procurement of goods and services.

The government tabled for the First Reading in the National Assembly last Thursday, the Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which seeks to curb loopholes in public purchase that have led to inflated costs and corruption in public procurement.

Among others, the proposed amendments are envisioned to set standards for goods and services to be purchased by the state, making use of benefits of bulk procurement as well as procuring items as per prevailing market prices.

“In the past, for instance, we had standards for all government vehicles, furniture, houses and stationeries, among others, but the case is different at present,’’ noted the commissioner.

“If we had specific types of such vehicles, it would have been much easier to build capacity for the Tanzania Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics Services (Temesa) to provide maintenance for the cars,” the official explained.

Mr Mwakibinga elaborated that the envisaged amendments will as well reduce the time and process used by procuring entities to make the procedure more efficient. “Bulk procurement in public purchase will also improve our bargaining power in the market through direct buying from manufacturers rather than middlemen,” he told lawmakers at the seminar.

The official noted as well that political will was crucial in implementing the new legislation, expressing concerns that thieving public officials have been hailed in their communities rather than condemned for their ill-acts. Contributing to the presentation, Lupa MP Mr Victor Mwambalaswa (CCM) was of a view that not only the flaws in the current legislation that was the problem but also officials involved in procurement entities.

“There are some institutions with incompetent officers in their procurement management units and this is a problem; we need competent people for the job,” he submitted. The MP was as well irked that Tanzania lacked a special policy to guide purchase of motor vehicles as it was in neighbouring countries.

The views were shared by Kigamboni MP Dr Faustine Ndugulile (CCM) who suggested that the country should put in place a policy on procuring, maintenance and disposal of public goods.

He as well expressed concern that most government institutions were not making use of warranties provided to them to repair vehicles within three years of purchase or 90,000 kilometres of road use.

Special Seats MP Ms Lucy Mageledi (Chadema) decried “the red tape in public procurement’’ while Moshi Urban MP Mr Jafary Michael (Chadema) wanted finance and planning committees in local governments to be given powers to intervene when they detect flaws in awarding tenders.

Korogwe Rural MP Mr Stephen Ngonyani (CCM) had proposed that lawmakers and local councils should be part of the tender boards in the constituencies. But the proposal was opposed by the majority of MPs at the seminar.

Nkasi North MP Mr Ally Keissy (CCM) said the proposed amendments were long overdue, noting that most of government purchases were overdue. “These changes should have been brought ten years ago.

I also oppose inclusion of MPs and local councillors in the tender boards since many of them are thieves and thus cannot be trusted,” the firebrand legislator charged.

For his part, Bukene MP Mr Selemani Zedi (CCM) was skeptical whether the special groups will be able to participate in the tenders since most of them were not registered for Value Added Tax (VAT) and thus not using electronic fiscal devices.

“The government has stated that starting next year, it will only do business with traders with EFDs; yet these special groups -- women, youth and the disabled -- do not have the electronic machines,” he noted with concern.

At the same occasion, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, said the government will translate the envisaged legislation into Kiswahili to allow broader understanding and participation by all the people.

7 killed as strange sickness ravages Kondoa, Chemba

SEVEN people have died as of Saturday last week while 21 others are quarantined at the Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital and Kondoa District Hospital after they contracted a mysterious disease in Chemba and Kondoa districts.

The Minister for Health, Social Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu, said samples of the victims are now being clinically tested to identify the strange disease, with laboratory results expected between today (Monday) and tomorrow Tuesday.

“We have sent samples of the patients including blood, stool, vomit fluids and liver to the national laboratory, the Chief Government Chemist and Kilimanjaro Christian Research Institute (KCRI) for laboratory testing,” Ms Mwalimu told a news conference here on Sunday.

Ms Mwalimu said the admitted patients are responding well to treatment save for two children who are in critical condition. Contrary to reports making circles in the social media, the minister ruled out the possibility of anthrax since patients have not shown symptoms of the deadly disease.

“Initial tests at the national laboratory have as well proved that the strange disease is not Yellow Fever. Laboratory technicians are still working to identify other diseases such as Rift Valley Fever (RVF),” the minister explained.

She added that her ministry was expecting further results from the Chief Government Chemist on Tuesday (tomorrow). “So far, much as the patients are isolated, we are highly confident that the diease is not contagious,” she assured Tanzanians.

According to her, the disease could be linked to Aflatoxins; a class of toxic compounds that are produced by certain moulds found in food, which can cause liver damage and cancer.

Poor preservation of food crops is the major cause of Aflatoxins. Ms Mwalimu explained further that samples of cereals, including maize, sorghum and millet, have been sent to the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) and the Chief Government Chemist for testing -- with results of the laboratory investigations expected today.

She said the government is working around the clock to contain the disease by engaging various stakeholders including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

The mysterious disease was detected for the first time on June 13 this year in Chemba District where it has reportedly affected a family of nine people in Mwaikisabe Village before it spread out to surrounding areas, including Kondoa District.

Major symptoms of the strange disease include vomiting, diarrhoea and eyes and other parts of the body turning yellow. Other signs include stomach ache, leading to swelling of the abdomen after being full with water.

“The patients neither experience high temperatures nor skin rashes and it affects all people, including adults and children,” she explained. According to Ms Mwalimu, it is believed that the first people to contract the disease ate cow meat that had been slaughtered with one of its limbs fractured.

Herbalists defy state order on adverts

DESPITE the government’s decision to ban any advertisement on herbal and alternative medicine in the mainstream media or social media networks, it appears that practitioners have blatantly defied that order.

Earlier this year, the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Children and Elders, Ms Ummy Mwalimu, banned public advertisements of herbal medicine through the media without approval from the Alternative Health Practitioners Council of Tanzania (AHPCT), until further notice.

Since then, there hasn’t been any fresh directive issued so far. Accordingly, the ministry also banned any form of education on herbal clinics through the media or public rallies, underlining that no traditional healer would be allowed to use any media without official approval.

However, the ‘Daily News’ is aware that almost all local television stations have been carrying advertisements of such nature and the ministry has chosen to keep mum although the ban has yet to be lifted.

Asked if the ministry had rescinded its decision, Deputy Minister for Community Development, Gender, Children and Elders, Dr Hamis Kigwangalla told the ‘Daily News’ that the directive was issued by the minister and that anything concerning the issue should be directed to her.

“Because the minister is there it is better you ask her on whether the decision was changed or if the practitioners have defied that order -- as of now I am outside the country and I have no additional details,’’ he said.

When contacted, Ms Mwalimu said she had realised that there was a weakness in the implementation of the government order by the AHPCT.

“I have directed the council to furnish me with a report by June 30 because we directed that all adverts should receive a nod from the council but some practitioners have been airing adverts that have no permission from the council,’’ she said.

The minister added that it seemed the council has failed to monitor the advertisements efficiently. “The government will react after receiving the report at the end of this month,’’ she promised.

In an Interview with the ‘Daily News’, AHPCT Assistant Director, Dr Paul Mahame, said there wasn’t any ban concerning advertisements so far.

“What I know is that the government directed herbal and alternative medicine practitioners to follow requisite legal procedures. So far, there is not any ban that was issued apart from the directive on how they should discharge their duties,’’ he told the ‘Daily News’.

In the minister’s directive, herbalists and traditional medicine practitioners were given two weeks to submit their permits to the National Council for Traditional and Alternative Medicine for a review.

The Acting Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Children and Elders, Mr Michael John, said in a statement that the move aimed at improving the provision of traditional medicine.

The statement quoted the PS as directing AHPCT within 14 days to review the business permits and documents of ownership of medical kits used by the herbalists and traditional practitioners for diagnosis.

He explained that the directive aims at ensuring that herbalists and traditional medicine practitioners provide the public with traditional and alternative medicine services in accordance to regulations, policy and guidelines set by the ministry.

The PS pointed out that the provision of traditional and alternative medicine service was facing many challenges and that some traditional and alternative medicine clinics were operating illegally.

Mr Michael mentioned other challenges as provision of drugs that are not registered by the authorities responsible for traditional medicine and advertising the drugs without complying with regulations and guidelines governing them.

The move aimed at stamping out quacks making easy money as practitioners of traditional medicine.