JPM CAUTIONS PUBLIC OFFICIALS AGAINST FINANCIAL INDISPLINE
Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli yesterday cautioned regional administration and local government officials against financial indiscipline in public procurement and implementation of projects in their areas.
He also said his government would collaborate with civil society organisations (CSOs) aiming at developing the country, but attacked those sympathising with teenage mothers.
He was speaking at Mazaina grounds in Chato, Geita Region, where Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation (BWMF) was handing over 50 houses for health workers in three regions of Geita, Kagera and Simiyu funded by the Global Funds for fighting against HIV/Aids, TB and malaria.
Global Funds issued Sh26.5 billion for the construction of 50 houses at Sh50.1 million per house. The project, which was implemented in partnership with BWMF, Global Funds and the ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, targets to construct 480 houses across the country. A total of 450 houses have been handed over and 30 others will be handed over to the government in the near future. During the event, Japanese Ambassador to Tanzania Masaharu Yoshida handled over a sunflower refining oil factory capable of producing 700 litres per day.
Addressing a rally, President Magufuli said the country’s budget in the health sector had increased from Sh31 billion in 2015/16 to Sh251 billion in 2017/18, thus calling for financial discipline among regional government and local government officials.
“Since the money will directly be disbursed to councils, regional administration and local government officials should learn financial discipline and proper use of public funds,” he noted.
“Many councils have misappropriated public funds. As the government and minister Ummy (Mwalimu) struggle to look for money to purchase medicine, ants shouldn’t eat it. Nobody should tell people there isn’t medicine, while the government has disbursed the money,” he added, asking public leaders to put public interest before personal gain.
President Magufuli said financial indiscipline made unscrupulous officials to fraudulently benefit from road project funds and agricultural inputs. He said an audit conducted in 11 regions, which had lodged Sh50 billion compensation claims, revealed that only Sh8 billion claims were genuine.
“Unfortunately, some of those involved are government and councils leaders. Even here in Chato, I don’t want to go into detail because of the case which I’m not sure if it is over, but agricultural input money amounting to Sh1.5 billion has disappeared. When I asked my mother, whose name was also included on beneficiaries’ list, she accepted, thinking I was talking about her mobile phone recharge vouchers,” he pointed out.
He said some dead people were also included on the list, saying he had directed auditing to be extended to other regions, whose findings would be made public.
“Government and council leaders should learn from BWMF for the timely implementation of projects. That is why I congratulate the contractor and the consultant. They have done a good job. We should properly supervise such projects for public interest,” he said.
Speaking on CSOs sympathising with teenage mothers, President Magufuli said they were tarnishing the country’s image before the international community that Tanzania was a country of rapists. According to him allowing teenage mothers back to school will aggravate the problem. He reiterated that Tanzania would closely work with institutions, whose activities impacted positively on people’s lives, saying those preaching at platforms and during workshops about teenage pregnancy had no part in his government.
“They receive a lot of money, but they have no impact on people’s lives. They cite rape as the main cause of teenage pregnancy. Not all pregnant teenagers have been raped. In my family, my niece became pregnant, but she was not raped and when she gave birth, the baby was called John. After a while, she gave birth to another baby she named Samia. She is there, but she wasn’t raped,” he stressed.
He explained that CSOs shouldn’t erode morals and traditions that have been built for many years, calling upon the Global Funds to deny them financial support.
In another development, he said the government in the 2017/18 budget had removed over 80 agricultural taxes, over seven livestock levies and more than five fisheries taxes to encourage agricultural growth and farmers’ livelihood.
BWMF founder and retired President Benjamin Mkapa hailed the Global Funds for supporting the country with $1.9 billion (about Sh3.8 trillion) in the last 14 years, saying the money had strengthened the fight against HIV/Aids, TB and malaria - the support he said needed to be replicated.
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