GOVT RIPS UNLICENSED BROKERS, AUCTIONEERS

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ALL unlicensed middlemen, brokers and auctioneers should brace for stern measures as the government has embarked on a crackdown against people offering such services without licences.

The government says there is no reason to operate illegally since the process to apply for the particular licences has been made easier thanks to the launching of an electronic system for licence application.

The launch, which took place yesterday in Dar es Salaam, marks the end of an era for paper-based application. Finance and Planning Permanent Secretary Dotto James urged the stakeholders to start submitting their applications electronically. “ From today, we will be very harsh.

We will not bear with anyone in the streets who calls themselves as middlemen but they don’t have licences,” Mr James vowed. Licence is a prerequisite because there have been some dishonest people operating without licences, conning individuals by selling plots or houses deceitfully,” stated Mr James.

He noted that the middlemen in the streets were well known and they could not hide or be spared during the manhunt.

“ A tendency of not having a licence is to tarnish the image of this decent job and others who conduct such activities legally,” he argued, adding that those without licence are regarded as criminals under the Auctioneers Act of 19 28 which is now under review.

The government has already collected views from stakeholders for the planned law amendment, and the Permanent Secretary informed the stakeholders that the process was at final touches before submitting the proposed document to top bodies for endorsement.

According to Mr James, the newly-launched electronic licence application system would improve efficiency and speed in issuance of the licences.

It is expected to increase the number of licensed auctioneers, middlemen and brokers in the country because the previous paper-based system discouraged many of them to seek licence.

Mr James said the new system has been linked to the Government’s Electronic Payment Gateway (GePG) system to enable the applicants also pay for the licences electronically.

“ The system comes to relieve the applicants from disturbances they experienced due to travelling to the ministry of finance in Dodoma for just filling and submitting application forms as well as making payment for the licences,” he explained.

Acting director of government’s assets management department in the ministry, Mr Choto Sendo said the electronic system would enable an applicant acquire the licence within a day after completion of application and payment processes.

The number of licensed brokers and auctioneers has been up and down with statistics showing that a total of 136 were licensed in 2016 and went down to 116 in 2017.

But the number then shot up to 159 in 2018 . On his part, chairman of auctioneers in Tanzania, Mr Fidelis Katundu, pointed out that the new electronic system would enable the field phase out fake brokers and auctioneers and enable the government collect tax it deserved.

He called upon the government to speed up the process of amending the outdated Auctioneers Act of 19 28 .

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary directed the Director of government’s assets management department in the ministry and regional government’s assets verifiers to verify all repossessed government’s assets to establish their conditions so that further decisions could be made regarding their fate, including auctioning them.

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