Dr Samia tasks government leaders to maximise locally collected revenues

ZANZIBAR: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has challenged regional and local government leaders to maximise locally collected revenues and channel them into development projects, warning that the central government cannot finance every development need.

She made the statement shortly after administering oaths to newly appointed Regional Commissioners and Regional Administrative Secretaries’ in Tunguu, Zanzibar, urging them to take full responsibility for driving development within their areas of jurisdiction.

Elaborating, President Samia said the country has only four years remaining to deliver on the promises contained in the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) manifesto and the national development vision, making it imperative for leaders at every level to use available resources efficiently.

“We have had bigger goals than our capacity and time. The goals are many, but our time is short; we have four years remaining. Let us use this time very well,” she said.

Furthermore, the President questioned how councils were using their own revenues, particularly the 10 per cent allocation set aside for development purposes, saying performance varied across councils.

“Every time we talk about implementing projects, we say money has not been released by the government. But our councils collect revenues. Where does that council money go?” she asked.

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She challenged leaders to establish how much revenue their councils were collecting, where the money was being spent and why some potential sources of revenue remained untapped.

“Where revenue is not being collected, ask yourselves why. There are many sources of revenue that are not being collected. Ask yourselves why, and when they are collected, let us use them to undertake development activities,” she said.

President Samia said the government’s Treasury had many competing and major responsibilities, while the country was also facing financial constraints arising from both domestic and external factors and called for leaders not to wait for every development initiative to be financed from the central government.

“Not everything should come from the government Treasury. The Treasury has many major responsibilities, and we are also facing many challenges, but our time is limited. Money is also limited due to internal and external factors,” she said.

President Samia directed every leader to take ownership of development within their area of responsibility, stressing that the success of her efforts at national level depended on leaders doing the same in their respective jurisdictions.

“Just as I am striving to ensure things move forward across the entire country, each one of you must supervise your area and ensure things move forward there,” she said.