DODOMA: A TOTAL of 22.3bn/- has been allocated for improving waste management infrastructure between 2021/22 and 2023/24 financial years in efforts to ensure that city and town areas remain clean, the National Assembly heard yesterday.
Deputy Minister in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Ms Zainabu Katimba informed the National Assembly while responding to a basic question by Special Seats MP Grace Tendega who wanted to know the government’s strategy to ensure that city and town areas remain clean.
Responding, Ms Katimba said that the government is implementing various strategies to ensure that urban and city areas remain clean, including: continuing to allocate budgets for improving waste management infrastructure. She said that between 2021/22 and 2023/24 financial year the government allocated a total of 22.3bn/- with 22.1bn/- being used and in the current financial year a total of 10.3bn/ has been allocated for environmental cleanliness activities in cities.
The deputy minister said that other strategies include the involvement of various public authorities with legal responsibilities for managing cleanliness, including National Roads Agency (TANROADS) and the Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA), the use of private waste management companies, public awareness and education on environmental cleanliness, engaging stakeholders in establishing waste recycling and processing centre and enforcing local government bylaws.
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She said that the government recognizes that despite the efforts, cleanliness in some cities is still unsatisfactory. Noting that it will continue to ensure that cleanliness is fully implemented so that cities and towns become attractive to both residents and visitors, while also preventing diseases caused by poor sanitation.
Recently, the Vice-President’s Office said that it has developed the 2025-2030 Waste Management Strategy, aimed at strengthening waste management infrastructure across the country. The Deputy Permanent Secretary (Union), in the Vice President’s Office, Mr Abdallah Mitawi, made the remarks during a stakeholder meeting aimed at sharing experience in plastic waste control and management, held in Dodoma.
He said it is estimated that Tanzania generates between 14.4 million and 20.7 million tonnes of solid waste annually, which translates to an average of 241 to 347 kilograms per person per year adding that urban areas are estimated to have a higher waste generation rate compared to rural areas.
“Data from major waste producing areas in the country indicate that garden waste, wood and food scraps account for 63.4 per cent of solid waste; a mix of electronic waste, household items, ashes and non-chemical waste makes up 12.8 per cent; plastic waste constitutes 12 per cent; paper waste accounts for 6.1 per cent; glass waste is 4.2 per cent and metal waste represents 1.5 per cent,” he explained.
Mr Mitawi added that 70 per cent of the solid waste generated in the country is recyclable. However, only 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the waste is currently recycled, with the majority coming from plastics, paper, scrap metal, aluminium, glass, electronic waste, lead acid batteries and used oil waste.
He noted that the low recycling rate (5-10 per cent) is due to the implementation of the 3Rs concept (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), particularly in the private sector
