AfricaPress-Tanzania: A HOUSE of Representatives member on Friday demanded the appointment of the Joint Finance Commission’s (JFC) commissioners, saying their absence was adversely affecting Zanzibar financially.
Paje Representative Jaku Hashim Ayoub said the commission’s tenure expired last year and since then the Union and Zanzibar governments had been operating without the essential services of the organisation.
“It is we, the Zanzibaris who are suffering most due to the absence of this commission right now; JFC doesn’t exist,” said the representative, who said the Union President should be requested to act on the issue.
However, Attorney General Said Hassan Said ruled out the possibility of the revolutionary government writing to the union president to remind him of the commissioners’ appointment.
“Appointment of the commission members is the discretion of the Union president, we cannot write to tell him to make appointments but once he appoints commissioners from the mainland, we will as well appoint Zanzibar members,” the AG explained in the House.
Established as per Article no. 134 of the United Republic of Tanzania Constitution of 1977, the JFC was officially inaugurated on June 5, 2003, with the key role of analysing revenues and expenditures arising from, or relating to the management of Union matters.
The commission further makes recommendations to the Union and revolutionary governments on the contribution by, and allocation to, each of them as well as keeping under constant scrutiny the fiscal system of the United Republic and the relations between the two governments in financial matters.
Earlier, members decried the pile up of cases in Zanzibar courts and an increasing tendency of framing criminal charges against innocent wananchi, advising the government to make swift interventions.
Responding, AG Said told the House that already, a special committee had been formed under the Chief Justice to speed up case hearings and ensure that justice is delivered justly and timely.
Later, the House approved unaltered the 23.2bn/- budget estimates as tabled by the Constitution and Legal Affairs Minister Khamis Juma Mwalimu on Thursday.
The minister had asked for the approval of 19.6bn/- and 3.7bn/- for recurrent and development expenditures, respectively.
