AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government has expressed its readiness to receive applications for the establishment of new administrative areas in its grand plan to continue bringing services close to people.
However, it said a procedure for filing applications required effective participation of people in respective areas and local government authorities at district and regional levels.
Deputy Minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Dr Festo Dugange, said this while responding to a supplementary question from Mtama Constituency MP Nape Nnauye who wanted to know when the government would start implementing the promise of establishing new administrative areas.
Mr Nnauye said apart from bringing services close to people, it would also help reduce the cost of government operations.
Responding, the deputy minister said the government was willing to receive applications and that he extended a call to all district councils wishing to establish new administrative areas to follow proper procedures and guidelines.
“We are determined to improve the provision of social services to people. District councils must carefully follow all relevant procedures in applying for new administrative areas,” he said, adding that the new administrative areas shouldn’t be adding operational costs.
Mr Nnauye’s supplementary question came after Mlimba MP Godwin Kunambi asked when Mlimba District would be formed since the new administrative area was located 200km away from Kilombero District that served Mlimba Constituency.
He also wanted to know government plans to construct new council buildings and improvement of existing structures, including roads, but the deputy minister said they had not yet received an official application from authorities in Morororo Region.
According to him, applications for establishment of new administrative areas are submitted to the District Consultative Committees (DCC) and Regional Consultative Committees (RCC) before they are presented to the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government).
Regarding the construction of administrative offices, the deputy minister said in the 2020/21 fiscal year, the government had set aside 1.1bn/- for the construction of an administrative building in Mlimba District Council.
“On road infrastructure, the government repaired 54km and constructed 22 culverts and four bridges worth 545.87m/- in the 2019/20 fiscal year. In the 2020/21 fiscal year, the government set aside 517.56m/- for the improvement of road infrastructure in Mlimba District Council.
