DAR ES SALAAM: DEPUTY Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for Cooperatives and Irrigation, Dr Stephen Nindi has directed the Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission (TCDC) to continue strengthening and developing various digital systems to control losses within cooperatives and ensure the safety of cooperative funds.
He said TCDC was responsible for developing system that will ensure members’ funds are safe and well utilised especially when they conduct sales of their agricultural produce.
He gave the instruction during his familiarisation visit at the TCDC headquarters.
Dr Nindi also visited TCDC to listen to the various views and challenges facing the Commission. He explained that there have been various forms of embezzlement of cooperative members’ funds, such as the provision of incorrect data and various fraudulent activities, which have led to cooperatives being seen as unreliable investment options.
This trend has hindered the development of cooperatives, emphasising that the planned digital systems will help curb fraud and increase government revenue.
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“There are some regions that have been providing incorrect data about members during the distribution of agricultural inputs using fraudulent methods, which highlights the need to create systems that ensure cooperative members’ funds are secure,” said Dr Nindi.
The Commission has been directed to develop strategies for participating in various national and international conferences to learn more about cooperatives in order to improve the management and effectiveness of these cooperatives for the greater benefit of the nation.
Dr Nindi also commended TCDC for the steps it has taken to ensure the growth and trustworthiness of cooperatives, including the establishment of the Cooperative Management System (MUVU) and the use of digital scales for crop weighing.
He pledged full cooperation to ensure that the government’s goals are met.
On his part, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of TCDC, Dr Benson Ndeige, thanked the government for its efforts to improve and strengthen cooperatives in the country and assured that TCDC would continue to implement government directives aimed at making cooperatives more effective and beneficial to their members.
