27bn/- set aside for renovating old hospitals

DEPUTY Minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Dr Festo Dugange has said that the government will set aside 27.9bn/- to renovate old hospitals nationwide in the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

Dr Dugange told the august House on Monday that 31 hospitals will be renovated, including one in Meru Council, which will receive 900mil/- for the purpose.

The deputy minister said this while responding to a basic question by Arumeru East MP Danielson Pallangyo who wanted to know the government’s plan to repair the infrastructure of Arumeru District Hospital.

In response, he stated that the government has continued to allocate funds for the renovation of the country’s oldest hospitals.

“In the fiscal year 2022/23, the government has allocated 17.1bn/- for the renovation of 19 hospitals.” Furthermore, a total of 12.95bn/- has been allocated for the renovation and expansion of the infrastructure of the 14 oldest hospitals as of February 2023,” he said.

Responding to another question directed to the same ministry on projects under Tanzania Cities Transforming Infrastructure and Competitiveness project (TACTIC), he reassured MPs that the government has pledged that by the year 2025, all projects covered by the agreement will be finished or nearly finished.

Dr Dugange stated that the TACTIC project has three phases where the first phase has already started looking for contractors and the second phase is at the final design stage.

The Deputy Minister said that in response to a supplementary question by Singida Urban MP Mussa Sima who wanted to know when the government will implement the project to build a modern market in the Ipembe area under the TACTIC project.

In his basic question, Singida East MP Jumanne Mtaturu wanted to know when will the government allocate funds to build a modern market in Ikungi.

The World Bank through International Development Association (IDA) approved a loan of 278 million US Dollars (equivalent to 648bn/-) in 2022 to be used for the TACTIC project.

In response, he stated that the Ikungi District Council has already designated 2 acres in Ikungi Village for the construction of a modern market.

“Currently, the Council continues to hold talks with the residents in the area who have built business stalls in the area specified by urban planning for the construction of a modern market,” he said.

Dr Dugange further said Ikungi District Council in collaboration with UN Women completed the construction of a butchery and vegetable storage building worth 82mil/- in the area.

In addition, he said the government will continue to allocate the budget for the construction of the modern Ikungi market.