VICE-PRESIDENT, Dr Philip Mpango on Thursday directed Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) to review its procedures for licensing tree cutting.
Dr Mpango issued the instruction when he graced a tree planting
exercise in the capital city as part of the activities for 59 years
of the Zanzibar Revolution.
The move, according to the VP was seeking to protect water sources that were almost disappearing.
Dr Mpango issued the directives after completing the tree planting exercise at the Msalato Primary school, an event that was coordinated by the office of the Vice-President (Union and Environment) as part of marking 59th anniversary of the Revolution.
He insisted that tree cutting, which has escalated was threatening different water sources in the country.
“You need to review all processes for issuance of licences for tree
cutting because the situation is now alarming,’’ he said, giving
an experience of the Mzakwe area which is the main water source in the Dodoma region.
“Whenever I pass through different roads, I find myself desperate due to several sacks full of charcoal and I predict that if the situation continues we might dry all our sources of water,’’ noted the VP.
Dr Mpango further said that it was high time for all responsible
authorities to ensure that the laws of the country were abided by and ensure that all defaulters were being brought to book as per the requirement of the law.
Also, in his speech, the VP directed all Regional and District
Commissioners to ensure that they stick to the directives provided in the CCM’s Election Manifesto which requires every district authority to plant at least 1.5 million trees.
He also insisted that the tree planting issue was not a voluntary
matter, but a directive from the government that seeks to help the
country to address all impacts of climate change.
The event was also attended by former Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda who insisted that the issue of planting trees was a matter of every Tanzanian for the best interest of the country.
In his remarks, the Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office, Union and Environment, Dr Selemani Jafo said that all the directives provided by the VP would be worked on accordingly.