Ikulu PS: Politicians interfere with TASAF operations

The Permanent Secretary in the State House, Mr Mululi Mahendeka has raised concerns over political interference in Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) operation lowering efficiency.

He said at the opening of TASAF employees meeting in Dar es Salaam yesterday that politicians were interfering with TASAF operations by giving misleading information which impact negatively on the efficiency of the fund.

“One of the challenges that the Fund is facing is the interference of politicians giving misleading information by linking them with political and tribal ideologies,” he said at the opening of a two-day meeting in the outskirts of the city.

The State House PS told the Fund’s employees that they have an obligation to observe integrity and professionalism and make sure their work is not distorted by some politicians.

“TASAF is a government institution that follows the stipulated guidelines,” he told them.

He directed the Fund’s management to fulfil its obligations effectively, inspecting the projects implemented as well as talks to beneficiaries in order to understand their challenges and address them.

“Work hard to make sure the Fund’s objectives to serve better the communities are achieved,” he added.

The TASAF National Steering Committee chairperson, Mr Peter Ilomo, thanked the State House PS for the directives pledging to implement them to increase the Fund’s efficiency.

Tanzania started implementing Tanzania Social Action Fund from 2000, offering an approach to poverty alleviation that also supported the decentralization agenda.

During 2009 to 2012, under Tanzania Social Action Fund a conditional cash transfer (CCT) was piloted in three districts Kibaha, Bagamoyo and Chamwino in Tanzania Mainland.

The impact evaluation of the pilot showed significant impacts on health, education and household asset creation.

On the basis of this, the traditional Social Action Fund interventions evolved into a comprehensive and integrated social safety net system since 2012 with implementation of the first phase of the Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN).