Africa-Press – Tanzania. VICE-President, Dr Philip Mpango, has directed the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to reconsider the criteria which requires higher education loan applicants to have national identity cards for them to be eligible for the funding.
Equally, Dr Mpango also ordered the National Identification Authority (NIDA) to speed up issuing national IDs to the remaining Tanzanians.
The VP’s order comes after the Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) included the criteria of having a national ID as one of the documents required for students’ loan applications.
Dr Mpango issued the directives when addressing Muyama residents in Buhigwe District of Kigoma region during his four-day working visit in the region.
“Because of the delay in issuing IDs, it would deprive most students access to the loan, thus the ministry should search for alternatives. I have assigned the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Joyce Ndalichako to revise the criteria,” he said
As of March 2021, registration has reached 22,345,948 people, compared to the target of registering 25,237,954 people, while 18,762,822 National Identification Numbers have been distributed to the public.
In addition, NIDA has produced and distributed 925,342 IDs, bringing the total number of IDs produced and distributed by March 2021 to 7,028,567 in 34 districts of Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Work to produce IDs in the remaining 116 districts is underway and is expected to be completed by July 2021.
While in the area, the VP inspected the construction of a modern market, where he expressed displeasure with the management of the construction and instructed the Kigoma Regional Administrative Secretary to seek an engineer to manage the project so that the value for money matches the results.
While in Nyarubanda ward, Dr Mpango heard various challenges facing the community in the area in terms of water, electricity, health and roads, where he promised that the government intends to open Kigoma Region and so social service challenges are going to be resolved.
He emphasized the importance of education for the benefit of the present and future generations, where he instructed the Kigoma Regional Commissioner and other leaders to address the challenge of shortage of classrooms.
In the Munanila area of Buhigwe District, Dr Mpango inspected the water project which serves the villages of Munanila, Mkatanga, Nyakimu and Kitambuka. He commended the ministry of water for the efforts they are making in solving the water supply challenges in the country.
The VP also warned some unfaithful Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) officials who force people to buy electric poles for them to get connected, something that the government has denounced.
“TANESCO Kigoma Regional Manager, I want you to take strong measures against all those found to be committing such acts,” he noted
Dr Mpango also urged Munanila residents to work hard and not commit crimes, especially theft of road construction materials in the district.
“Some of the youth have secured jobs in the ongoing road construction projects, but I am warning those who steal cement, they should stop doing so because we will take strong measures against them,” he said
In another development, he said the government has good intentions to identify illegal immigrants, and urged the people of Buhigwe District to continue cooperating with the government in the exercise.
He has instructed the immigration department not to harass the locals when they want to identify illegal immigrants.
