The
government of Tanzania to implement President John Magufuli’s promise to provide 50m/- to
every village for development starts in the 2016/2017 financial year, Deputy
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Labour, Youth and Employment, Anthony
Mavunde said here yesterday.
He told the National Assembly that the
procedures on the best way of distributing the money were being prepared by National
Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC) together with Regional Administration and
Local Government.
The deputy minister was responding to a
question by Halima Bulembo (Special Seats-CCM) who wanted to know when the
promise would be implemented and at what percentage of the amount would be
reserved for the youths.
NEEC Executive Secretary Beng’i Issa said that
the money would be released in three phases within a period of five years. She
said the funds would first be released to banks before being channelled to
various groups like Village Community Banks, SACCOS and Village Savings and
Loan Association (VSLA) in the country according to agreed arrangement.
The MP for Buyugu on Chadema ticket, Mr Kasuku Bilango, wanted the government’s commitment to distribute the money fairly to all citizens, saying there were rumours that only members of the ruling CCM in the villages will benefit.
However, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled), Ms Jenista Mhagama, dismissed the sentiments as mere worries, saying all legal procedures would be followed.
She pointed out that the money was the president’s promise during his campaign for the presidency and would be distributed to all the citizens regardless of their political ideologies.
It was recently reported that the government plans to use 811bn/- in the next five years to implement the president’s promise and it has started to engage various stakeholders on how best to accomplish the task.
10 REGIONS TO RECEIVE MAGUFULI'S 50 MILLION
The plan shows that the
exercise would commence in 10 regions with less financial services. The regions
include Singida, Lindi, Mtwara, Mbeya, Shinyanga, Geita, Kagera, Dodoma, Rukwa
and Ruvuma.