Tag: GreatLakesNews

{The new measures that the Fifth Phase Government is showing signs of strengthening fiscal management will be effective if complementary actions to improve the overall business environment for the private sector development are undertaken, a new World Bank report says.}

The 8th Tanzania Economic Update report shows that while Tanzania’s growth is relatively high, it has not yet led to acceleration of job creation and poverty remains substantial with around 12 million people still under the poverty line and the majority of non-poor are only just above the poverty line.

“Tanzania needs to increase investments in infrastructure and human capital to further unlock its growth potential while enabling the private sector to create more jobs,” the World Bank Country Director, Ms Bella Bird, said.

Ms Bird said that this will not only have a stronger impact on poverty reduction but also consistent with the new government’s priorities and its commitment to the achievement of the country’s Vision 2025 goals.

According to the Update entitled ‘The road less travelled: Unleashing public private partnership in Tanzania’ it shows that with increasing fiscal challenges due to declining aid, low revenue mobilisation, high expenditure pressures for clearance of payment arrears and debt service, Tanzania needs to find alternative sources of financing its huge development needs.

The Vice-President, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan, said in her keynote address that while the government has surpassed its revenue collection targets since December 2015, to make this success sustainable, there is a need to create a conducive business environment to foster private sector development and further improve tax collection.

Ms Hassan said that despite recent success in enhancing domestic revenue collection and spending efficiency, traditional instruments were clearly insufficient to fully finance the country’s huge development needs.

“It is therefore imperative that we identify and exploit alternative means of financing Tanzania’s economic development. Key among these is private sector financing, particularly through public private partnership (PPP) arrangements,” she explained.

She said that the Economic Update presents strong evidence to demonstrate that, if PPPs are carefully selected and appropriately implemented, they could play a powerful transformative role in alleviating the existing massive financing gap.

“As you know, PPPs are not new to Tanzania, but they have not yet achieved the hope for advances, investments or spending efficiencies. “This Update outlines important lessons for the way forward by drawing on the country’s rich experience with PPPs and global best practice, warning a point that they can only be successful if well selected, prepared and implemented,” she said.

A senior World Bank economist, Mr Emmanuel Mungunasi, giving an outlook of the country’s economy said that while the picture is encouraging, there is urgent need to improve the quality of infrastructure and social services like reliable electricity and high quality education.

A PPP specialist from the World Bank, Mr Jeffrey Delmon, said that the private sector was pivotal to the development of a nation and that PPP was a long term commitment like marriage that constantly needed to be worked on.

{President Kenyatta will meet 15 UN Security Council officials to discuss impending shutdown of refugee camps.}

President Uhuru Kenyatta will on Friday meet members of the United Nations Security Council in Nairobi to discuss the impending repatriation of refugees as well as the general situation in Somalia.

The talks with the 15 diplomats are a follow-up to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s call to President Kenyatta asking him not to shut down Dadaab Refugee Camp.

(READ: Don’t send refugees away, UN tells Kenya)

It is also expected that the work of the African Union Mission to Somalia (Amisom) in Somalia will feature prominently on the agenda, specifically focusing on Kenyan concerns regarding the mission.

“Of particular concern to Kenya is the absence of Amisom in the Gedo region, which has now become a safe haven for Al-Shabaab and a launching pad for attacks against Kenyan troops and people along the common border with Somalia,” said a communique signed by the presidential communications unit, PSCU.

Kenya has said the main reason for closing the camp and repatriating the refugees is the security risk posed to the country by Al-Shabaab radicals who have mixed with the refugees.

TERRORISTS’ BREEDING GROUND

Announcing the closure earlier this month, Interior Principal Secretary said the camp had become a breeding ground for terrorists and that “some of the largest terrorist attacks, including the 2013 one at Westgate, have been planned and executed from Dadaab.”

Other issues expected to be raised in the discussion are the lack of critical components necessary for stabilising Somalia, such as robust land, air and maritime defence capabilities and assets.

“The recent decision by the European Union to effect a 20 per cent reduction of funding to Amisom is a manifestation of this difficulty. Of equal importance, is the temptation of our international partners to forget that the African Union is in Somalia on behalf of the United Nations.

“Whereas the continent is footing the bill of stabilising Somalia by blood and flesh, it is disheartening that the international community is even contemplating to reduce support to Amisom,” the statement went on to say.

After the meeting, President Kenyatta will fly back to the northeastern region where he has been touring.

{Controller and Auditor General (CAG), Prof Mussa Assad, has asked the government to allocate enough resources to his office to enable it perform its functions efficiently.}

He said lack of adequate funds cripples various activities performed by the National Audit Office (NAO). He made the remarks in Dar es Salaam yesterday at a two-day meeting of the NAO Master Workers Council. The same office is also plagued by a shortage of skilled workers in the area of international audit, Prof Assad said.

The shortage, he said, has become more pronounced following the departure of members of the UN Auditors Board from China in June 2014. He said employment of 129 professional auditors would have the National Audit perform its duties efficiently.

Prof Assad said a new region like Songwe with its newly-established district councils needs more auditors to carry out various functions. “There’s a need of training various experts, including skilled auditors with the emergence of the hydrocarbons industry,” he said.

“The government should also consider building an Audit Training Centre at Gezaulole in Dar es Salaam, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office (Public Service and Good Governance),Susan Mlawa, told the CAG that the government “is committed in creating a better working environment for public servants.

She advised workers of the NAO to exercise a high degree of integrity and accountability when performing their duties. “The fight against graft is and the slogan ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ should be the focus when you carry out your duties,” she stressed.

{This will be President Kenyatta’s first intensive tour of northern Kenya since his election in 2013.}

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto start a three-day visit of three North-Eastern counties Thursday.

A communication from State House indicated the Jubilee coalition leaders will tour Mandera, Wajir and Garissa.

They start their tour Thursday in Mandera with the inspection of the building of the Elwak-Wargudud Road in Mandera South at 10am.

Later, the President will break ground for the construction of the Wargudud Airport and the Rhamu-Mandera Road in Mandera North.

On Friday, the President and his delegation will be in Wajir County.

At 10am, he will commission the Wajir Kenya Medical Training College in the town, the local Huduma Centre in Wajir East and the upgrading of Wajir Hospital to Level Five status.

The President will later launch two key education programmes: Digital Literacy Programme and Water for Schools project at El Adow Primary in Wajir Town.

COMMISSION ROADS

In Garissa on Saturday, the Head of State will begin his tour by launching the building of the Nuno-Modogashe Road in Garissa Town/Barab Ara in Lagdera at 10am.

He will then commission building of Modika-Nuno Road at Fafi/Daadab/Bar Abara.

In Garissa Town, the Sankuri-Garissa Ndogo-Ngamia Road will be commissioned, while in Ijara, the President will inspect progress of the Masalani water Project.

Back in Garissa Town, President Kenyatta will inspect the construction works of the new hostel at the Garissa University College.

This will be President Kenyatta’s first intensive tour of northern Kenya since his election in 2013.

The region overwhelmingly voted for the ruling coalition through the United Republican Party (URP) which is led by DP Ruto.

However, local leaders had accused the Kenyatta administration of neglecting the insecurity-prone northern frontier which still has poor infrastructure including roads and lags behind in development, more than 50 years after independence.

Wajir and Mandera, for instance, have only recently had the first tarmac roads thanks to devolution.

And as the 2017 elections approach, President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto are keen to fulfil their election pledges to consolidate their support.

Cord Leader Raila Odinga who enjoyed huge support in northern Kenya in 2007 is struggling to regain his footing in the area.