Allowances here to stay, says PM

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda yesterday ruled out the possibility of allowances budgeted for in the 2011/12 financial year being scrapped.Answering a question in Parliament, Mr Pinda said those advocating the scrapping of allowance allocations in the Budget should understand that it was a constitutional issue.
“This is a constitutional issue, and there is no way the government can act without following due procedure, which can take a long time,” Mr Pinda said when answering Mr Mohamed Habib Mnyaa (Mkanyageni-CUF), who had asked the Prime Minister to state the government’s stand on the debate on whether or not MPs should receive sitting allowance.

Mr Pinda said Article 73 of the Constitution talked about MPs’ benefits, making parliamentarians’ sitting allowances a constitutional matter that could not be changed through the pressure of one person. He added, however, there was no problem if an MP chose to forfeit his or her allowance, saying the money could be used for other purposes.

“I think there is no problem if an MP directs that his or her allowance be kept by the Treasury for other uses... this is not the first time that such a decision has been made,” Mr Pinda said. Chadema legislators, led by Mr Zitto Kabwe, have been demanding for the scrapping of sitting allowance, saying it was not justified.

Mr Kabwe, the Kigoma North MP, has argued that MPs and civil servants were being paid salaries monthly, and do not deserve extra payment when they go about their official duties. But Mr Pinda said he doubted whether Chadema arrived at the decision out of patriotism. Earlier, Mr Mnyaa said the allowance debate had caused hostility between MPs and voters, with the latter thinking that parliamentarians were squandering public resources.

He accused some MPs and the media of misleading the public, and asked the Prime Minister to clarify on the matter. Mr Pinda said there were two types of allowances –discretionary and non-discretionary. He added that the government had no powers to suspend payment of discretionary allowances, but could do so with discretionary allowances.

Mr Pinda said MPs’ sitting allowance was discretionary, and was recognised under the law and therefore could not be scrapped arbitrarily. The Prime Minister said Chadema MPs were being insincere by claiming that they do not need allowances.
“Chadema MPs may be supporting the idea, but they know deep down that they desperately need the money,” he said, adding that there was nothing wrong if MPs used their allowances to help their voters. On whether the government would take legal measures against those opposed to allowances, which were enshrined in the Constitution, Mr Pinda said there was no need to reach that stage.

“I don’t think that we need to reach that stage as the issue is not as big as some people think…it is a very minor issue.”Mr Pinda added his voice to the debate that has attracted the attention of a number of prominent individuals, including former German president Horst Kohler, who on Wednesday warned that the government’s image was at stake.

Prof Kohler said in Dar es Salaam that donors were closely monitoring the debate, adding that it might end up tarnishing the government’s image before development partners if it was not handled properly. Responding to a question during a dialogue at Movenpick Hotel, he said the debate did not present a good picture of the country’s expenditure priorities.

Prof Kohler felt that it was not in order for a country like Tanzania, which received substantial assistance from donor countries, to set aside huge sums as allowances for government officials, who were also being paid salaries. Giving an example of his own country, he said: “In Germany, such officials have to foot their own bills while attending official duties.” He added that payment of allowances was not a proper way of spending taxpayers’ money.

Prof Kohler said at the Maendeleo Dialogue, organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and the Tanzania Development Initiative Programme (Tadip), that Western countries were likely to react once they had all the facts on the allowances debate.

Opposition MP Zitto Kabwe has written to the Clerk of National Assembly, declining sitting allowance during Parliament’s ongoing Budget meeting in Dodoma.

Prof Kohler urged the government to uphold transparency and accountability.  He noted that Tanzania had made great strides in development, but added that a lot more needed to be done to promote the rule of law, saying this would enhance the public’s confidence in the government.

MP advises govt to provide video on Balali`s burial

The government has been advised to provide video proof on the funeral and burial of former Governor of the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), Daudi Balali, who died and buried in the US about four years ago.

Speaking during the House question and answer session yesterday, Masoud Salim (Mtambile, CUF) asked the government whether the former governor was dead or alive, and if it is true that he died, then it should furnish the video detailing his funeral and burial.

Salim said it was necessary for the government to provide the video on the late governor’s funeral as evidence so that people could refrain from relating the incident to that of Osama bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda leader whom the American government claims it buried at sea. In a supplementary question, Salim had wanted to know when the government would seriously deal with the embezzlers of government funds.

In his response to the first question, Deputy Finance minister Gregory Teu said according to a report the government received from its embassy in the US, Balali died and he was buried in the States.

“What I am aware of and the information obtained from our embassy in the US, Balali died and everything concerning him had better be taken as bygone,” Teu said.

The Bank of Tanzania made an official announcement of Dr Balali’s death and burial in the US on May 2008.

However, the announcement has left suspicion among many Tanzanians, who have been questioning whether Dr Balali really died or not and have been asking for evidence on his burial. Dr Balali, who was former Governor of the Bank of Tanzania was seriously implicated in a massive corruption scandal involving embezzlement of more than USD116.5m (133bn/-) while in office during the third phase government.

Prior to his death however, a drama ensued that led to his resignation as he proceeded abroad allegedly for medical examination.

Pressured largely by the public, Dr Balali let it go, but in December 2007, a senior government official said he was not aware of the resignation.

“We have just read about the alleged resignation of the governor through the press” State House Director of Information Salva Rweyemanu said in a telephone interview.

He added: “If there is a letter to that effect, then its existence will be known later because the President is on leave.”

Leakage of Balali`s resignation became vivid when the resignation letter he submitted to President Kikwete detailing the reasons for his resignation surfaced.

In the letter, Dr Balali is alleged to have cited the reasons for resignation as having undergone a major operation at a Boston Hospital in the US where he had been admitted for “over three months.”

Some months later, it transpired that he was not going to come back to Tanzania. This was followed by the announcement that he died and had been buried in the US.

Answering the second question, the minister said the government has been taking serious measures to check theft and embezzlement of its funds, adding that between 1998 and 2010, it dismissed a total of 75 council directors besides taking action on 33 councils including filing cases against them in court.

In the basic question Salimu had wanted to know the loss the government has incurred in monetary terms due to negligence, theft and embezzlement in the period between January and October 2010.

In his answer, the minister said according to the Controller and Auditor General’s report 5.1bn/- was lost through theft, negligence and embezzlement in the 2009/ 2010 financial year.

He further said that after the ministry received the 2009/2010 CAG report, it took measures including informing the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation for further action.

 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

CUF yamtaka Nahodha ajiuzuru

*Ni kutokana na mauaji ya wananchi  watano Tarime 
*Yalaani, yasema huo ni ukiukwaji wa haki za binadamu

BARAZA Kuu la Chama cha Wananchi (CUF) limemtaka Waziri wa Mambo ya Ndani kuwajibika kutokana na mauaji yaliyotokea wilayani Tarime lakini pia kufanyika kwa uchunguzi wa kina juu ya tukio hilo.

Hatua hiyo ilifikiwa Dar es Salaam jana na Mwenyekiti wa CUF, Prof. Ibrahim Lipumba wakati akizungumza na waandishi wa habari kuhusu mapendekezo mbalimbali yaliyoazimiwa na kikao cha baraza hilo.

Alisema kuwa baraza hilo linalaani vitendo vya ukiukaji na uvunjaji wa haki za binadamu hususan mauaji ya raia yanayofanywa na Jeshi la Polisi ambayo yamekuwa yakiripotiwa kila mara.

"Inatuumiza sana kwa kuwa inaonekana jambo hili ni la kawaida kwa sababu watendaji wake hawachukuliwi hatua yoyote," alisema.

Prof. Lipumba alisema kuwa baraza hilo pia linamtaka Rais Jakaya Kikwete kutambua kuwa jukumu la kuleta maendeleo ya Watanzania ni la watu wote hivyo serikali yake isisite kutumia sera mbadala za CUF kwa maendeleo ya taifa.

Alisema serikali kupitia wizara ya Fedha na Uchumi na Wizara ya Nishati na Madini inatakiwa kuchukua hatua za kuhakikisha nchi na wananchi wake wananufaika na rasilimali za madini zilizopo hapa nchini hususani madini ya dhahabu ambayo bei yake katika soko la dunia imepanda.

"Dhahabu inayouzwa nje ni dola bilioni 1.5 kwa mwaka sawa na  asilimia 40  ya bidhaa za Tanzania zinazouzwa nje ya nchi," alisema.

Alisisitiza kuwa baraza hilo linataka kuona utajiri wa nchi unawanufaisha wananchi na kuisaidia nchi kujikomboa kutoka katika dimbwi la umasikini na kuacha kutegemea misaada kutoka nje ambayo imeifanya nchi kuwa tegemezi kwa miaka mingi.

Aliongeza kuwa baraza hilo linamtaka Waziri wa Nishati na Madini Bw.William Ngeleja kujiuzulu kwa kuwa ameshindwa kutumia vyanzo vya umeme vilivyopo nchini ili kukabiliana na tatizo sugu la nishati linaloikumba nchi yetu kwa sasa.

Alisema nchi imejaliwa vyanzo vingi ya umeme na maeneo mengi ya maporomoko ya maji, makaa ya mawe, madini na hata umeme wa jua ambao hauna gharama kubwa ya kufua.

"Ni miaka 50 tangu tupate uhuru hatuna sababu yoyote  ya kutokuwa na umeme wa uhakika, ni ufisadi tu ambao umekithiri katika serikali yetu," alisema.

Alisisitiza kuwa serikali ni lazima itambue kuwa hali ya kutokuwa na umeme wa uhakika imezorotesha uzalishaji viwanda,biashara,huduma katika hospitali na shule hivyo kusababisha uchumi wa nchi kuzorota.

Aliitaka serikali kuzingatia mapendekezo na hoja zinazotolewa na kamati ya Nishati na Madini ya Bunge la Jamuhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania zinazolenga kupata ufumbuzi wa matatizo ya umeme.

Pia alisema baraza hilo linaitaka serikali kuwa makini katika suala zima la utunzaji na uhifadhi wa silaha nzito za kivita zenye madhara makubwa na kutaka zihifadhiwe mbali na makazi ya watu ili matukio ya milipuko ya mabomu ambayo yameshatokea mara mbili yasijirudie tena.