IGA resolution: Speakers quashes lies
- TPA says no deal for 100 years signed
THE Inter-Governmental Agreement –IGA between Tanzania and the Emirate of Dubai concerning partnership on ports’ developments will be brought to the National Assembly tomorrow for legislators to debate and ratify the resolution.
The IGA concerning Economic and Social Partnership for the development and Improving Performance of Ports in Tanzania was signed on February 28th, last year.
The agreement signed between Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and DP World based in Dubai was aimed at among other things, to develop and improve operations of strategic infrastructure for sea and lake ports in areas such as special economic zones, logistics parks and trade corridors.
Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Tulia Ackson informed the lawmakers on Thursday while giving clarifications over misleading information regarding the resolution reported by some media in the country.
According to Dr Tulia, the resolution is currently at the joint committee level as per Parliamentary Standing Orders, adding that after the committee has completed its work, the resolution will be brought to the House tomorrow for discussion and endorsement.
She explained that, after her office received additional activities from the government which required Parliament action, she directed the resolution to be worked upon by two committees which are Parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure and Parliamentary Committee on Public Investments that formed the joint committee.
Dr Tulia said that according to the parliamentary standing orders, the committee was required to analyse the document and receive views from various stakeholders.
“On June 5 this year the joint committee convened a public hearing on the resolution and attended a special meeting on June 6 this year,” Dr Tulia said.
She said after the Parliament issued statement to invite stakeholders to give their views, there has been misleading information concerning the resolution.
Besides the public hearing held on June 6th this year in Dodoma, the joint committee continues to receive stakeholders’ views from people who did not get a chance to attend the public hearing.
She said the committee continues to receive opinions through postal corporation, emails and addresses identified in the stakeholders’ invitation document.
She said the Parliament will continue to support efforts by the sixth phase government under the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan to promote economic growth and development of Tanzanians.
“The National Assembly through its committees is ready at any time to receive debate and provide its recommendations on the issues brought to the MPs with the aim of improving the execution of the government’s plans,” she said.
Dr Tulia, however, called upon journalists to observe ethics by ensuring that they get appropriate information from respective authorities instead of reporting news which cause inconveniences to the public.
She said that, besides issuing warnings to the media which mislead the public, the Parliament will now take stringent actions against them.
Meanwhile, The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the efforts made by the sixth phase government to attract new investments in the country’s port aims at addressing long term challenges like delays of vessels, cargo and inefficiency.
TPA vehemently refuted false news in the social media that the government plans to grant the DP World, the contract to run the operations of Dar es Salaam Port for 100 years.
TPA said that the misleading statements in the social media were issued by unethical people to hinder government plans to enhance efficiency of the port sector for the national interests.
“The cooperation between the two governments aim at enhancing efficiency of port services, create more jobs, open new economic opportunities through investments in some areas of the Dar port, Special Economic and Industrial Zones by building industries as well as investment in the whole transport value chain from Tanzania ports to the neighbouring countries,” the statement said.
It is expected that the investors will improve ease of doing business by using modern technology to shape the visibility, transparency, and speed up transit of cargo across Tanzania ports, Inland Container Depots and borders.
The involvement of the private sector brings the prospects for improved connectivity and the potential for expansion and modernisation of facilities at the port.
On his side, the Director of Information Services and Chief Government Spokesperson, Gerson Msigwa asked all Tanzanians to shun unhealthy statements from a section of some people that by having the large investment from the Dubai-based firm, the country had already been sold off.
He said that already the government had signed a framework agreement and what was going on now was the Parliament to receive views from Tanzanians on the document, before the issue was debated in the august House as per the requirements of the constitution.
In another development, Mvumi legislator Livingstone Lusinde has hailed the decision by the government to allow Tanzania and Dubai to establish an economic and social cooperation in developing and improving performance of port areas in the country.
Mr Lusinde who was addressing journalists in Dodoma yesterday said that by allowing the Dubai-Based Company DP World to operate in the country, employment opportunities at different ports will more than double and revenue collections will equally increase significantly.
In a related development, the legislator thanked President Samia Suluhu Hassan for allowing the framework agreement to be tabled in the House for debate, insisting that this has shown how the government was working by observing transparency on matters of the country’s interest.
