AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government has pledged to continue working with nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), urging them to be transparent in their operations to increase efficiency.
Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Godwin Mollel, said this week that the government would continue working with them in various sectors of the economy.
He made the pledge while closing a two-day session between the ministry and NGOs held in Dar es Salaam.
Basing on resolutions reached during the session, Dr Mollel called on NGOs to be transparent to enhance public trust.
Dr Mollel said there were complaints from some people that the government was interfering with the activities of NGOs when it enacted a law requiring the organisations to operate legally and transparently.
“When the government enacted the law it had a good intention to ensure NGOs work in line with a formal system that builds transparency and trust between the government and NGOs.
“I advise the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health to write to our colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation and the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government) to come up with a document to start recognising NGOs that have contributed significantly to national development,” Dr Mollel said.
He said NGOs were doing great things, but there was no formal mechanism to identify them, so through the document that would be prepared it would help national leaders on official working visits to the district among other things to get information on the performance of these NGOs from district heads.
“There are more than 10,000 NGOs registered in Tanzania, 350 of which participated in the session,” said Christian Blind Mission Executive Director Nesia Mahenge.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children John Njingu said the aim of the session was to space to discuss the achievements and contributions of NGOs to the country, challenges and make recommendations.
