Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Damas Ndumbaro, has issued a directive to the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) to take appropriate legal action against unlicensed producers and transporters of charcoal.
He issued the directive in Dodoma on Thursday when opening a fiveday training for TFS senior and junior paramilitary officers, where he underscored the need to protect the country’s forests as well as maintain environment.
The officers are being trained on leadership and administration in a bid to make sure they observe ethics, integrity and accountability in the course of discharging their duties.
In his directives, Dr Ndumbaro said transporters of charcoal should seek permits from TFS. He said the move aims at monitor and ensure controlled tree cutting.
However, the Minister warned TFS officials to avoid engaging themselves in corruption related acts and make sure they employ the Government’s e-Payment Gateway (GePG) system in revenue collection.
Dr Ndumbaro also used the occasion to remind TFS officials to intensify collaboration with other agencies like the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA) and Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) as well as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) undertaking several projects in the country’s forests. In intensifying integrity, Dr Ndumbaro asked members at the training to ensure that they properly enforce laws and regulations guiding their activities as well as refrain from misusing discretionary powers bestowed on them.
Earlier on TFS Chief Executive Officer, Professor Dos Santos Silayo said the five-day training was designed to help his employees to deliver at their work places.
He said the training was part of the directives issued by Dr Ndumbaro January, this year, that all supervisors of forests at district level to be trained on leadership and Management purposely to intensify transparency, hardworking, integrity and good governance, among others.
