PROJECTS’ FUNDS : Samia demands judicious spending 

PRESIDENT Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed councillors, District Commissioners and regional authorities across the country to make close monitoring of the funds
PRESIDENT Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan

MTWARA : PRESIDENT Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed councillors, District Commissioners and regional authorities across the country to make close monitoring of the funds dished out for execution of various development projects in the councils.

The Head of State issued the directives while addressing a rally at Saba Saba grounds in Newala District, Mtwara Region where she is on her working tour.

She said the government has been allocating huge amount of money to the district councils to address various challenges facing the people to achieve the desired outcomes.

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She said it is inconceivable that top national leaders are the ones who have been finding out mismanagement of the projects’ funds while councillors, DCs and various leaders are available in their respective areas.

“Councillors and District Councils’ chairpersons should make close monitoring of the funds provided for implantation of development projects. Don’t take part in the mismanagement of funds,” she ordered.

Dr Samia, who addressed citizens shortly after inspecting the progress of the implementation of Newala District Council’s administration office project worth 3.6b/- which has so far reached 96 per cent, demanded the value for money and ensure the  project is completed  within the agreed time frame so that the council can start offering services.

Furthermore, she directed leaders from regional and village level to be problem solvers through listening to citizens’ concerns, including coming up with relevant solutions to their problems.

Dr Samia said good leaders’ engagement with the citizens in their localities will prevent mismanagement of funds which go unnoticed due to poor connection by some leaders with citizens.

For his part, Minister for Agriculture, Mr Hussein Bashe said the government in the last Fiscal Year’s (2022/2023) farming season allocated a total of 90bn/- for farm subsidies from which 23bn/- was allocated for Newala cashew nuts famers.

Mr Bashe called upon farmers across the country to update their registration information as the government in the incoming farming season has also  set enough money to subsidise agro inputs such as fertilisers.

On stabilising cashew nuts market, he said the government is set to construct processing industries for cashew nut value addition so that farmers can sell processed cashew nuts in a digital monitored market that offers instant payment and pricing.

Minister of State in the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Mr Mohammed Mchengerwa said the government is expecting to employ a total of 47,307 employees to serve in different sectors including education and health to increase efficiency in services delivery.

He said of the employees a total of 10,305 workers will be allocated to the health sector while 10,503 will go to the education sector.

He thanked President Samia for allocating the employment opportunities that will address citizens’ challenges while also creating jobs to youths in the country.

Additionally, he said the government has been constructing infrastructure for social service provision, calling upon the public to protect them to serve the present and future.

Meanwhile,   President Samia has directed cooperative unions in Mtwara Region to strictly monitor and manage the supply of agricultural inputs purchased by the government to cashew growers to help them improve productivity.

She also tasked the councillors to collaborate with the unions and ensure farmers get agricultural inputs purchased by the government.

She said that it is meaningless if the fertilisers purchased by the government with billions of money do not help farmers to boost production, enabling the country to reap big from cashew nuts.

President Samia said the management charged with responsibility of supplying the inputs are engaging in malpractices and tricks that involve issuance of false information over the supply of the inputs to farmers.

She said the government spends a lot of billions in purchasing the inputs to help increase production of the cashewnuts in the country and in turn help both farmers and government reap income complaining that the case has been negative.

“The government provides fertilisers to farmers for the expectation of helping them  to increase production and earn much from their hard work while enabling the government to earn its fair share in terms of tax and foreign currency but data indicates that the government has been earning little compared to the cost incurred in purchasing the inputs,” she said.

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