Ridhiwani urges public to cooperate on TASAF projects
COAST REGION: THE public has been urged to participate in various projects that are undertaken across the country under the mandate of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) so as to ensure efficiency.
The Deputy Minister of State in the President’s Office – Public Service Management and Good Governance, Mr Ridhiwani Kikwete called upon citizens in their respective areas to be positively responsive, something he said would help projects to be completed on time and on required standards.
By doing so, Mr Ridhiwani who is also Chalinze Member of Parliament remarked, the public will get easy access to different important services, specifically social ones, in their respective places.
The deputy minister also applauded TASAF for proper coordination and upright management of the development projects that it is implementing in collaboration with various councils in the country, adding that the projects are completed to the required quality.
He was speaking after making a tour to inspect construction of a mortuary building that was constructed by TASAF at a cost of 137m/- at the Msoga Hospital that is in the Chalinze District Council of the Coast region.
Mr Ridhiwani noted that implementation of TASAF development projects targets to improve access to income-earning opportunities and socio-economic services for targeted needy households while enhancing and protecting the human capital of their children.
“These projects are for the development of us all, so it is pertinent for the citizens to volunteer in activities under the projects, like in infrastructure construction implemented by TASAF in our areas.
“The government is comfortable with the quality of this building and we also appreciate the value for money in this project. We are also happy to see that TASAF beneficiaries participated perfectly in all stages of the building construction,” noted Mr Ridhiwani.
Speaking during the event, Mr Oscar Maduhu who represented TASAF Acting Executive Director, Mr Shedrack Mziray, noted that the project for construction of the building is important, because it will ensure availability of humane services.
“Construction of this building is a project that all of us are stakeholders to; services delivered are for us all – we implore hospital staff and Chalinze District Council Executive Director to safeguard it, so that it can offer services to the citizens for a long time,” said Mr Maduhu on behalf of Mr Mziray.
“I assure you that TASAF has many more opportunities still in infrastructure projects; it is the council’s responsibility to sort out the priorities and file applications to TASAF for implementation,” he added.
Earlier, Chalinze District Council Executive Director, Mr Ramadhani Possi, said that some 4bn/- had been issued to 9,081 beneficiaries that were targeted in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years.
“Through TASAF, our council has implemented several projects, including offering short-term employment opportunities Public Works Program (PWP), with a tune of 440.8m/- in the said projects,” he said.
Adding; “Also Targeted Infrastructure (TI) projects were allocated 333.6m/-, moreover beneficiaries of the Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN) in Chalinze have managed to form 322 savings and credit societies”.
TASAF is currently implementing Productive Social Safety Net II (PSSN II) which will be operational from 2020 to 2025. The program is implemented in 187 PAAs covering all Villages, Mitaa and Shehia in the country. The target beneficiaries is a population of more than 1.5 million beneficiaries.
Building on PSSN I, PSSN II will achieve its objectives through the implementation of combined and integrated interventions. The combination of livelihood activities and cash transfers will increase household income through building household level assets, enhancing risk management, and facilitating a shift to more productive types of employment.
