SPEAKER of the Parliament, Dr Tulia Ackson has challenged MPs to appreciate and acknowledge what the government is doing in implementing recommendations made in the 2020/21 Controller and Auditor General (CAG)’s report.
This comes as the government implemented 48 per cent of the resolutions arising from the CAGs report.
Dr Tulia noted the progress registered by the government, in a space of seven months.
“As MPs, we need to appreciate what the government has done since the report came to Parliament last year,” urged the Speaker on Tuesday evening, while weighing in on three Parliamentary Standing Committees’ views, which scrutinised the government’s role in addressing resolutions and flaws emerging from the CAGs report.
The resolutions are meant to address loss of public funds, increase revenues and bring efficiency in government institutions.
According to Dr Tulia, the onus was on the chairpersons of the three oversight committees to inquire from the government on when such recommendations will ‘see the light of day’.
“This is what oversight role entails,” she insisted.
Commenting on the resolutions delivered by the Public Investments Committee (PIC), Speaker Tulia maintained that a total 40 per cent of the recommendations had been implemented by the government, while 32 per cent raised by the Local Authorities Accounts (LAAC) over the CAG report, were in the course of implementation.
Earlier on, LAAC Chairperson Halima Mdee told the House that only 42 per cent of the total recommendations had been implemented since the CAG’s report was tabled in the House last year.
“This is a blatant disregard from our accounting officers that need to be addressed sooner than later,” the firebrand lawmaker observed.
It remains to be seen whether some district councils will ever implement the CAG’s recommendations, according to Ms Mdee.
She added: “We are very saddened that not a single resolution has been implemented since last year”.
For her part, Naghenjwa Kaboyoka, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), lamented on the slow pace of implementing the recommendations suggested by the office of the CAG.
According to the legislator, only three out of the total 15 resolutions had been worked on by the government.
“Some nine resolutions have partly been implemented while another three are yet to be implemented,” she disclosed.
Some of the flaws emerging from the resolutions which haven’t been implemented, according to Ms Kaboyoka include the state liquidity among strategic state-run organisations.
They include Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) and State Mining Corporation (STAMICO).
On the contrary, the National Assembly also learnt of the progress made by the government in implementing the CAGs recommendations.
PIC Committee Chairperson, Mr Jerry Silaa told the House that the government was on course in implementing five out of the 13 resolutions that arose from the CAG report.
Mr Silaa was quick to point out that 17 government agencies had board members appointed to their name, while only six were yet to do so.
“The performance and efficiency of state run agencies leave out much to be desired without constituting board of directors, it is high time the government liaises with the Treasury Registrar in addressing such a setback,” he suggested.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Investment also called for speedy talks in scouting for potential investors for the Liganga and Mchuchuma projects in a move that seeks to expedite the implementation of the long-awaited iron ore mines and plants.
The investment involves construction of the Mchuchuma coal mine, a 220kv transmission line between Mchuchuma and Liganga for supplying the Liganga Metallurgical Complex, and an accompanying 600-megawatt (MW) thermal power station.
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