AfricaPress-Tanzania: SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Job Ndugai, has recalled all parliamentary sectoral committees that have been inspecting development projects in various regions in the country.
The decision to order the committee’s return to base in Dodoma has been taken as part of the measures to avoid MPs from contracting the deadly Coronavirus ahead of the budget meeting scheduled to kick off end of this month.
According to Speaker Ndugai, sectoral committees have, for about weeks now, been inspecting the implementation of various development projects that received budget allocation in 2019/20 financial year.
Upon arrival in Dodoma, the committees will start scrutinizing the proposed new budget, whose framework was tabled to Members of Parliament (MPs) by Minister for Finance and Planning, Dr Phillip Mpango on March 11, this year.
According to Dr Mpango, the government expects to spend a total of 34.88tri/-, out of which 21.98tri/- is for recurrent expenditure while 12.90tri/-, equivalent to 37 per cent of the total budget, is for development projects.
In his briefing yesterday, Mr Ndugai said in scrutinizing the newly proposed budget, committee members will employ Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in interacting, including giving recommendations and suggestions.
Members of Parliament, end of last year, started using ICT in following Bunge proceedings and other communications after being given tablets, a move that has reduced the burden of paper work.
“This turn of events shows that now we need to have MPs who are conversant with ICT matters,” he said.
According to Mr Ndugai, no committee will be allowed to hold its meeting outside the Parliamentary compound.
“All committees will be allocated their meeting rooms within Parliamentary premises, and we are working on an arrangement that will enable committee members to work in shift. Some will work during the morning session and others during the evening session,” he said.
Speaker Ndugai also hinted that they will look into the modality on how to carry out activities when the budget meeting kicks off end of this month.
“When the budget meeting is about to start, we will invite you here so that we brief you on the new arrangement that will enable us to perform such an important function. A lot of things will change, but without compromising the budget passing processes,” Speaker Ndugai told reporters.
He repeated his call, urging visitors, especially those who would like to travel in groups to Bunge to refrain from arranging the trips during this time when anti Covid -19 stringent measures are being instituted.
“We kindly ask the public who would like to visit Bunge to refrain from doing so during this time unless such visitors have a compelling reason,” he stressed.
Already the Parliament has placed hand sanitizers in all entry points to ensure whoever walks in washes their hands.
Early this week, Bunge issued a number of measures to prevent lawmakers and other stakeholders from contracting the deadly disease. The measures include suspending all foreign trips for MPs until further notice.
