PM parades major feats   

AS the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) National Congress reached its conclusion on Thursday, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa underscored the party’s major strides in implementing its 2020/2025 Election Manifesto.

Premier Majaliwa told the Congress that in President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s 20 months in office, the government has made significant progress towards fulfilling the pledges made in the 2020 general election.

“CCM has been successful in bringing social and economic development to the people,” said Premier Majaliwa at Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre.

The sixth-phase government, he said, has been successful in fostering peace and stability, strengthening democracy and good governance, developing and accelerating investment, ensuring adequate energy supply, and improving the provision of social services across the country.

Major efforts have been directed towards improving water supply in rural and urban areas, and according to the Premier, a campaign aimed at relieving women from water woes dubbed ‘Kumtua Mama Ndoo Kichwani’ has enhanced access to the precious liquid.

The government has equally made notable achievements in improving education services as evidenced by the introduction of fee-free education from primary, ordinary to high-level education and the construction of infrastructure aimed at facilitating learning.

He said the government has continued to allocate budgets for the construction of classrooms, teachers’ houses, toilets, and the construction of new secondary schools. It has also increased funding for tertiary education, and scholarships to study abroad, including the recently introduced Samia Scholarship.

President Samia’s administration has continued to improve road and bridge infrastructure, improve aviation, marine, and lake transportation, as well as construction and expansion of inland and seaports, manufacturing of passenger and cargo ships.

“The government has continued to strengthen the ATCL airline so that it can provide transport services within the country where it has successfully started flights to Arusha, Geita and restored trips to Mtwara and Songea,” PM Majaliwa said.

The sixth-phase government has massively increased the budget for the agricultural sector from 294bn/- to 954bn/- this financial year, added the Premier.

While there have been deliberate measures to strengthen the irrigation sector to improve food security, President Samia’s government recently issued a 150bn/- subsidy to enhance the availability of farm inputs and equipment, said the PM.

Mr Majaliwa said the government continues to promote democracy whereby President Samia formed a task force in an effort to bolster political relations, and ensure the participation of political parties in the development of the country.

The PM also highlighted environmental conservation initiatives undertaken by the government, saying the voluntary relocation of people from Ngorongoro to Msomera village in Tanga region was a huge success. As of yesterday, 489 households with 2,629 people and 14,132 livestock had moved to Msomera.

The construction of the Magufuli City is another notable achievement, said the PM, noting that the first phase of the project will be completed next year, while the construction of the Chamwino State House has reached 100 per cent.

In curbing corruption practices in the public sector, the government has strengthened internal audits with the aim of identifying weaknesses and irregularities. The PM vowed that tough measures will continue to be taken against the culprits.

Looking to curb Union vexes, the Union and Zanzibar governments have so far conducted 30 meetings, whereby 14 out of the 18 identified vexes have been resolved and the remaining ones are still being dealt with.

The 2020-2025 manifesto directs the government to focus on protecting and strengthening unity, stability, solidarity, and peace, as well as protecting, strengthening, and maintaining Zanzibar’s revolution and Union. Also, promoting a connected, integrated, and competitive economy based on industrial foundations, enabling infrastructure, and economic services.

Through the manifesto, the ruling party also pledges to reform agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors to ensure food security and to contribute to economic development and job creation for young people and women.

Other pledges include strengthening democracy, human rights, preventing violence and humiliation of all kinds, and expanding access to social services such as health, infrastructure, water and electricity services.

“The manifesto’s execution also includes managing public officials in the manner in which they are expected to serve the people without requiring corruption or bureaucracy, but also the management of community service provision,” he noted.

Zanzibar’s Second Vice-President Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, said in the Indian Ocean semiautonomous archipelagos, the revolutionary government of Zanzibar under President Hussein Mwinyi has so far succeeded to implement the party’s election manifesto by 79.2 per cent.

Mr Abdulla said Zanzibar economy continued to recover at an impressive rate and averaged 5.1 per cent growth, compared to 1.3 per cent in 2020.

“This shows that the economy is getting stronger, which gives us hope to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves in bringing development to the people of Zanzibar,” he said.

He hailed peace and stability as a key factor for socio-economic progress in the isles.