AfricaPress-Tanzania: SIMANIRO District Council in Manyara Region has issued 244.6m/-to groups of young people, women and people with disabilities in 18 wards, which is 10 per cent of the council’s earnings.
Simanjiro District Council Executive Director (DED), Yefred Myenzi revealed this during the issuance of interest-free loans to 1,412 group members.
He said so far there were 51 beneficiary groups made up of women who received 171.6/-. The youth were 20 and received 68m/-, while people with disabilities received 5m/-.
The DED thanked councillors and experts in the council for cooperation to ensure 100 percent issuance of the 10 percent of the earnings from their own sources.
“We are now debt-free and we have gone a step further than 5m/- of the loans issued in the 2014/15 fiscal year to 244.6m/-issued in the 2019/20 fiscal year,” Mr Mnyenzi said.
Simanjiro District Commissioner (DC), Zephania Chaula urged the youth to utilise opportunities and apply for loans and use them in a productive way to earn more and have better lives. He assured them of interest-free loans.
The government is issuing such loans to support the informal sector that finds it difficult to access loans from banks and financial institutions which charge high interests. This leads the groups to fail to get capital for their businesses.
Simanjiro District Social Development Officer, Asia Ngalisoni said from July 2019 to April 2020 at least 101.7m/-was borrowed and was subsequently repaid.
She said challenges facing them included a small number of groups made up of people with disabilities while some of the youth groups failed to meet contractual terms and conditions due to the age of their members. “Another challenge is long distances from the district headquarters to where some groups operate.”
Loan beneficiaries thanked the government. Ms Halima Abdallah from Kipaji Group in Mirerani said the 5m/-they received would help them improve production and businesses in general.
Ms Nasoro Bakari from Orkesumet said what they had received helped the youth from criminal acts and engage in productive work.
Ms Mary Milao from Lukundane Group in Langai Ward said women worked hard and the loan they had would boost their morale.
