PS counsels ATCL staff on patriotism

The government has said 3tri/- investment to revive Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) must be protected.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Gabriel Migire told ATCL management and staff that they must be more patriotic and show high level of integrity to protect government investment in the national flag bearer from tax-payers money.

“Integrity is needed in managing and operating ATCL for positive economic outcomes. You should know the value of the investment made by the government to revive this airline in procuring new planes and other company’s property and resources for having business growing,” he said when closing workers’ council in Morogoro at the weekend.

On ensuring that the national flag bearer makes profits, the PS directed ATCL to get rid of business as usual and conduct regular market research which will be used to find solutions to the various challenges facing the company’s performance.

Mr Migire mentioned some of the challenges which needed quicker actions, include delays in flight schedules, customer service and integrity. Swift solutions are needed to maintain the efficiency of the company’s operations.

“The government made decisions to revive this organization from not having an airplane to operating more than 10 airplanes right now, but we have always heard many challenges from domestic and foreign customers, so in this workers’ Council must plan strategies to ensure these types of customer queries are addressed as soon as possible,” said Migire.

He assured ATCL staff that the government is continuing with the strategies of making sure five more new planes arrive as planned for the national airline to extend it wings to more local and foreign routes.

The Chairman of ATCL’s workers’ Council who doubles as the company’s General Director of ATCL, Eng Ladislaus Matindi, said that currently the company’s functions have continued to grow where it lands to more than 12 destinations locally, six regional destinations and others outside the continent.

Eng Matindi said that currently the organization has initiated a five-year strategic plan that started from July 2022 to June 2026 where the emphasis is placed on a one-year plan for 2022/23 aimed at increasing local routes to more than 19 from the current 12 routes.