AfricaPress-Tanzania: ALL strategic projects implemented in various parts of the country are within the sectoral budgets of respective ministries and are executed after Parliament’s approval, the government reiterated yesterday.
The Permanent Secretary in the Finance and Planning Ministry, Mr Doto James, made the clarification in Dodoma while opening the 2020 Planners’ Conference.
His remarks came following the spread of misleading information peddled by some politicians that the government was rushing into implementing unbudgeted projects.
“The projects are implemented only after Parliament’s approval that allows the government to borrow locally and abroad, collect taxes and receive grants to implement its budget,” explained Mr James.
He said that after the budget is approved, the next step is to implement it where the government implements such projects using money from its own revenues, loans or grants as per the stipulated laws and procedures.
Mr James further said that the Loans, Grants and Guarantees Act of 1974 (as amended in 2004) as well as its regulations of 2003 gives the Minister for Finance the responsibility to raise funds for the implementation of the budget approved by Parliament.
However, he noted that every year, the parliament approves development budgets to finance projects, adding that everything was done in accordance with the laws and regulations.
Speaking in a radio programme on Wednesday, the Chief Government Spokesperson, Dr Hassan Abbasi, said every parliamentary meeting has been approving development budgets to finance projects, adding that there has never been any sort of secrecy surrounding funds for development projects.
“All ongoing development projects in the country are financed by funds allocated as per the country’s laws, rules and regulations. The funds are delib erated on and approved by the House,” Dr Abbasi insisted.
Citing an example of the flagship project of Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Dr Abbasi who also serves as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Arts, Culture and Sport, noted that some individuals have been circulating false information on the money that finances the projects, claiming that its source is not known.
In his clarification, Dr Abbasi said the Parliament started approving funds for the SGR project in the 2017/2018 budget through Vote 2,005, Project Number 4,281 in the transport sector.
On the other hand, the PS instructed all planners in the country to increase creativity in planning various programs of the country to enable the State achieve its goals on time.
He said given the current status of Tanzania as a middle income country, planners need to change the way they plan and implement, reminding them that the issue was not just planning but implementing it to attain the desired results
