DEPUTY Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Constantine Kanyasu, has directed the Tanzania Forestry Services (TFS) to invest in their forests instead of relying on offences to accumulate revenues, an initiative for a more sustainable source of income generation.
Mr Kanyasu was speaking at a meeting with the staff of the ministry held at TFS hall in Tabora, on Friday.
“Depending on penalties derived from offences related to charcoal production will not contribute to sustainable income. “The time has come for TFS to focus on investing in its forests through planting trees and bee keeping among other initiatives, for more sustainable income,” said Mr Kanyasu.
According to him, the time will come when people will shun from their evil ways that include cutting trees to produce charcoal, cutting off TFS from the source of revenue.
In another development, the deputy minister directed the Tabora regional administration to speed up the process of handing over the zoo situated in Tabora Municipality to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism to further strengthen government’s revenues.
He referred to the zoo as a crucial attraction site in Tabora, citing the move as a catalyst for increasing the number of tourists visiting the area and a way to generate more incomes for the residents of the region.
“The tourists, instead of going straight to other attraction sites, may begin their journeys by visiting the zoo, creating business for hotels and inhabitants,” he noted.
Mr Kanyasu disclosed that initiatives taken by the ministry to maintain the zoo include paying the security officers, but the place had not been properly managed to generate government revenues.
In case the region had failed to manage the area, he said the government could reallocate its use and transfer the animals to the parks and security officers would be assigned other tasks.
Tabora Regional Administrative Secretary Msalika Makungu assured the deputy minister that the matter was already being handled by the committee and a solution for both parties would be found within a few days.
