THE Ministry of Arts, Culture and Sports has highlighted its priorities in the 2023/24 fiscal year as the construction and rehabilitation of sports facilities and development of sports arenas in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Arusha.
The docket Minister Pindi Chana noted these when she tabled her ministry budget estimate of 35 bn/- for the next year, requesting the parliament’s approval.
She noted that the construction and rehabilitation of sports stadiums and facilities aim to prepare a favourable environment for hosting the 2027 AFCON if the bid passes.
According to the budget document, the ministry placed an estimate of 8.6 bn/- for the sports development department, including commencing the construction of sports arenas in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma and the construction of sports centre, entertainment and recreational areas.
The ministry also noted in the financial year 2023/2024, the Culture and Arts fund will facilitate 650 cultural and artistic projects worth 9.5 bn/- for an average of 25 projects per region.
The ministry informed the parliament on Tuesday in Dodoma that the fund will provide services based on specific groups, sector divisions and regions of Tanzania Mainland.
The Minister of Arts, Culture and Sports, Pindi Chana, said this in parliament when she tabled her ministry’s estimated plans for the next fiscal year.
The projects will create 59,150 jobs, where 19,700 jobs will be permanent and 39,450 temporary.
She noted that priority would be on projects owned by special groups such as women, youth and people with disabilities to get freed from economic setbacks and contribute to the National GDP.
Chana said that between July last year and April this year, the fund received loan applications worth 9.26bn/- from 219 applicants.
She added until April this year, they have offered loans worth 1.1 billion shillings to 45 projects in the areas of culture and art.
Minister Chana noted the release of capital for few projects was due to various reasons, including applicants needing to formalise their projects and lack of understanding of project writing.
She mentioned other reasons: absence of bookkeeping of income and expenditure, lack of financial education, poor management of projects, lack of investment education and uncertainty of job markets for which they made capital request.
Chana said the 45 projects included 17 film projects for 475 m/- and 14 music projects at 287 m/-.
Others are craft arts, five projects funded 105m/-, performing arts, three projects funded 30m/- and one creative writing project funded 10m/-.
In 2023/24, the ministry expects to collect 1 bn/- through the Sports Development Department.
The sources of income include admissions to sporting events held at Benjamin Mkapa and Uhuru stadiums, renting halls and gyms at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and fees for training and exams at Malya Sports Development College.
In addition, through its six institutions under the ministry, it expects to collect 5.97 bn/-.
These institutions include the National Kiswahili Council, TaSUBa, Film Board, National Arts Council, National Sports Council and Copyright Office of Tanzania.
