Isles registers progress in social welfare
DODOMA – ZANZIBAR Second VicePresident (2VP), Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, has said the government’s ongoing social welfare initiatives are aimed at improving the lives of citizens across the islands.
The initiatives include significant increases in pension benefits (for retirees and the Universal Pension Scheme – UPS), public engagement efforts and public service enhancements.
In a major move to support elderly citizens, Mr Abdulla announced that the government has raised the monthly UPS for seniors aged 70 and above by 150 per cent, increasing it from 20,000/- to 50,000/-.
He was presenting the Zanzibar government’s execution of the ruling party CCM Election Manifesto of 2020- 2025, during the party’s Extraordinary General Meeting in Dodoma yesterday.
He said this adjustment, effective from the 2023/2024 financial year, has already resulted in 18.3bn/- being disbursed to 30,395 elderly citizens, surpassing the initial payment target by an impressive 261 per cent.
He said retirees’ pensions have also doubled, rising from 90,000/- to 180,000/-, marking a 100 per cent increase aimed at improving the financial stability of pensioners.
To strengthen the connection between citizens and government leadership, the Zanzibar government introduced the “Sema na Rais Mwinyi” (SNR) platform, which allows citizens to directly raise their grievances, challenges and suggestions, fostering more transparent and responsive governance.
By September 2024, the platform had received a total of 14,418 complaints, with 74 per cent (10,657 issues) successfully resolved. This demonstrates the government’s commitment to active citizen participation and responsive leadership. Mr Abdulla also noted the government’s efforts to enhance public service benefits.
Since July 2022, salary adjustments have been implemented across the public sector, benefiting all public servants, including presidential appointees, politicians, regional commissioners, district commissioners and security officers. “These adjustments resulted in a 36 per cent increase in total salary expenditure, rising from 35.5bn/- to 48.3bn/- ensuring that the public sector workforce is well-compensated for their services,” he explained.
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On the issue of fostering the Union, Mr Abdulla highlighted Zanzibar’s commitment to strengthening the Union with mainland Tanzania, a legacy of the visionary leaders Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere and Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume.
Over the past years, 81 joint dialogues between Union and Zanzibar institutions have been held, addressing shared matters and fostering national unity. As a result, 15 Union-related matters were resolved and 13 agreements were signed, addressing long-standing challenges and reinforcing the cooperative spirit between the two sides of the Union.
In his speech, Mr Abdulla said that the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar continues to focus on development through strategic sectoral meetings and joint projects with the Union government.
“This ongoing collaboration and good relations ensure that both Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania move forward together, advancing shared prosperity and mutual development for all citizens,” he said.
The 2VP concluded his address by expressing deep gratitude to Zanzibar’s partners, including friendly nations, international organisations, development partners, the private sector, civil society, political parties, religious leaders, community leaders, government officials and citizens, for their unwavering support.
He said that the successful implementation of policies outlined in the CCM Manifesto has enabled Zanzibar to exceed expectations, setting the stage for continued progress and prosperity
