Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIA Social Action Fund (TASAF) will launch a second technical productive Social Safety Net programme later this month, almost a year since President John Magufuli launched it second round known as Tasaf III.
The social safety net (SSN) consists of non-contributory assistance to improve lives of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty and destitution.
Tasaf Executive Director Ladislaus Mwamanga revealed that here, adding that the process will help in the implementation of all units of the second term of the programme that target to improve access to income-earning opportunities and socio-economic services for embattled poor households.
“Preparations are complete… the implementation of the second round will begin soon after the technical launch scheduled for mid this month,” Mwamanga told the Deputy Minister in the Office of the President Public Service Management and Good Governance, Mr Deogratius Ndejembi.
The programme which is expected to run between 2019/20 and 2022/23 is expected to cost over 2.032tri/- benefiting 16,596 villages in Tanzania Mainland and 388 Shehias in the Isles.
Mr Mwamanga said the programme has so far completed an audit and found ghost beneficiaries in 185 Councils in Tanzania Mainland and 11 Districts in the Isles.
“A total of 56.7bil/- grant of the second round of the Third Phase of TASAF was paid to the beneficiaries in September last year,” he said.
He went on to add that international community including the World Bank, the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries among others have agreed to finance the programme to a total of 1.5tri/-.
However, TASAF acknowledged that in seven years of operation, there have been thousands of households in villages and Shehias that have not benefited from the programme.
Elaborating, the Executive Director blamed members of the village for being dishonest especially in exposing unqualified beneficiaries.
He said efforts are being put in place to collect sufficient funds to reach a wider population, as well as build the required infrastructures notably water, hospitals and schools.
Mr Ndejembi said the fund released by both the government and development partners must deliver the needed results, which include removing individuals from abject poverty.
In the course, he called upon Tasaf executive to conduct a detailed evaluation to determine the progress of the programme as well as the number of beneficiaries, whose economies have changed.
“The key problem is the programme coordinators in councils. I want these officers to also act as monitoring and evaluation officers,” he said.
Ndejembi who is also a former District Commissioner further said most coordinators become active during the issuance of grants to beneficiaries and after the process, they become dormant and forget to monitor the beneficiaries in the areas.
