Africa-Press – Tanzania. MINISTER for Finance and Planning Mwigulu Nchemba has stressed that the government is committed to support improvement of sport infrastructure in the country.
Minister Nchemba disclosed that in Dodoma yesterday, while winding up the 2021/2022 national budget in the National Assembly.
He said that the government is looking forward to support the upgrading of sport infrastructure from all city councils to municipal level, to create conducive environment for athletes to excel and display their talents.
Legislators yesterday overwhelmingly approved the government budget for the 2021/2022 fiscal year. Out of the 385 votes cast, 361 votes (about 94 per cent) said ‘Yes’, while all opposition MPs totaling 23 votes said ‘Abstain’.
In the 2021/2022 fiscal year budget, the government announced to remove Value Added Tax on Artificial grass for stadiums in the major cities, in a move intended to promote sports in the country.
“It is initiative that we are going to implement staring with city councils and we are willing to go down to the municipal and town levels as well, to assist those with special requests to acquire the artificial turfs,” he said.
City councils which will qualify for the artificial turf exemption are Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Mbeya, Arusha, Tanga and Dodoma
Nchemba’s remarks adds up to what the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Hassan Abbasi made on Tuesday in an occasion to officially launch the new Workers Council of Tanzania Standard(Newspapers) Limited(TSN) publishers of the Daily News, ‘Sunday News, Habari Leo, Habari Leo Jumapili, Spoti Leo and Daily News Digital.
Abbasi said that the government was keen to make sports easily accessible for everyone by building infrastructure especially for indoor games.
To start with, he said the ministry has already secured funds to construct three sports parks, to enable people, especially youth to engage in the sports of their choice.
“We have already started the process to construct more sports parks like the one at Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (JMK) Youth Park of Dar es Salaam,” he said.
“We are committed to build those infrastructures in phases, but stakeholders in the sector have to change… they should come up with contractive ideas on how to develop the sector,” he added.
Abbas noted that they also plan to contract a modern gym at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium of Dar es Salaam to give the public opportunity to undergo regular physical exercises.
He said to fulfill current plans and others in the pipeline; leaders of all departments in the ministry have to be creative.
