Special status for diaspora still under Bunge scrutiny

DODOMA: TANZANIAN diaspora hoping for special status recognition will have to wait longer as proposed amendments to the law to establish the status remain under parliamentary review.

National Assembly Speaker Dr Tulia Ackson announced in Parliament yesterday that amendments to the Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Bill, 2024, which would have created this status, have been withdrawn.

Dr Ackson clarified that the proposed amend ments were still under re view by Parliament. The withdrawn amend ments sought to introduce definitions like “Diaspora Tanzanite Card,” “Special Status,” and “Tanzania non-citizen diaspora,” and establish procedures for land ownership rights for special status holders.

These changes intended for the Immigration Act (Cap. 54) and the Land Act (Cap. 113), were removed before Attorney General Ham za Johari presented the Bill. Prior to their removal, the Bill was set to revise eight laws, including the Immigration Act, Land Act and Mining Act.

With the removal of the diaspora-related amendments, the Bill now focuses on revising six laws — the Advocates Act, Basic Rights and Duties Enforcement Act, Community Service Act, Kariakoo Market Corporation Act, Mining Act and Public Service Act.

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The Kariakoo Market Corporation Act (Cap. 132) corporation to open and oper ate a bank account for greater transparency. seeks to address challenges in managing the corporation. Among the key changes, section three now empowers the corporation to enter into contracts as a corporate entity. Section Four expands the cor poration’s functions, including improving marketing systems for goods handling, packing and exportation.

Section Five reduces the number of board members, specifies their ap pointing institutions and recognises the General Manager as the Board Secretary.

These changes aim to re duce costs and improve the board’s effectiveness. Section 17 widens the corporation’s funding sources to ensure se cure and sustainable revenue and Section 18A allows amendments to several other laws including Advocates Act (Cap. 341), whereby Section Four now adds the Executive Secretary of the Law Reform Commission as a member of the National Advocates Com mittee, to ensure a quorum in meetings involving the Attorney General.

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Basic Rights and Duties Enforcement Act (Cap. 3) has also been amended.

Section Nine removes the discretion of parties to decide whether to refer constitutional rights violations in subordinate courts to the High Court.

This change allows subordinate courts to determine proper procedures in such cases.

Other amendment in volves Community Service Act (Cap. 291).

The Bill increases the qualifying period for community service sentences from less than three years to four years, helping reduce prison congestion. It also removes the requirement for consultation with the Community Service Orders Committee, shifting responsibility to a community service officer with expertise in social work.

The Act’s amendments replace the title National Community Service Co-ordinator with Director of Probation Services, to align with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ organisational structure and eliminate redundancy.