Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa yesterday issued seven-day ultimatum to Permanent Secretary and officials responsible for analysing and approving requests to purchase vehicles in his office to explain why they allowed councils to buy expensive cars.
The Premier also demanded explanation from Mwanza City, Chato, Msalala and Kahama District Council Directors to serve him with convincing reasons, why they had to buy expensive vehicles.
Mr Majaliwa issued the orders while meeting public servants, Members of Parliament and Mwanza City Councillors, saying such expensive and luxurious vehicles are burden to poor wananchi.
The premier said it is illogical for leaders to endorse purchase of expensive vehicles instead such money should be diverted to fund development projects, which benefit the public.
“Purchase of vehicles must be in line with the government vehicle procurement circular and public fund must be used as planned…the government will not hesitate to take serious measures against anybody who embezzles the public funds,” he said.
Elaborating, Mr Majaliwa asked the councillors to focus on proper management of the public funds for the benefit of all wananchi.
Equally, he directed district directors to play their part by advising district councils on issues related to government procurement procedures and give priority on the revenue control and proper utilisation of resources.
“District Executive Directors must act tough on the wananchi priorities and the money must be spent on implementing strategic projects,” he noted.
In a related development, he ordered all council leaders to come up with strategic plans that would enable the councils to collect revenues by 100 per cent, saying: “You must come up with new strategies of collecting revenues, because we need new sources of revenues in our areas. “Public servants must reach people in their areas to hear and understand their problems, because this will help them find their solutions.”
That was apparently in focus to his December 7th this year speech, when he ordered that all Regional Administrative Secretaries countrywide should ensure that employees in their jurisdictions especially in the education sector remain in office during the Christmas and New Year eve.
He said that would provide them with ample time to supervise the construction of pending classrooms and desks ahead of opening of schools next month.
“All classrooms and desks must be completed by February 20, 2021 and all District and Regional Education Officers, Construction Engineers, Procurement Officers should not be allowed to go on leave until February 28, next year. We need all 3,000 classrooms to be completed by that time,” he noted.
On December 7 this year, the Premier via a televised address from his Mlimwa office in Dodoma to Regional Commissioners, District Commissioners, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government ordered that all classrooms must be constructed and completed by February 28, next year.
