AfricaPress-Tanzania: IF elected in the coming general election, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) will buy patrol boats to enhance security in Lake Victoria and guarantee safety of fishermen.
Speaking during the on-going campaign in Gana suburbs, Ukerewe Island in Mwanza over the weekend, CCM member of the Central committee, Kassim Majaliwa, who is also the Prime Minister said four more small zones in Ukerewe Sengerema, Nyumba ya Mungu and Mtera have been established
He added: “Already the government has established three major security zones in Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Coastal area, as part of its continued efforts to ensure security in the water bodies for the surrounding communities to benefit from the available opportunities.”
He further said in recognition of the importance of the fishing sector in the country’s economy, the government waived a number of nuisance taxes on fishing equipment including boat engines, for the sake of empowering the lives of fishermen.
“We are really determined to improve the sector, a move that would see all fishermen and players in the industry benefit accordingly from their work,” he noted.
Mr Majaliwa also assured of the government’s commitment to electrify the whole island, reiterating the promise by the party’s presidential candidate Dr John Magufuli that the work will be completed before 2023.
At the event he also campaigned for Dr Magufuli, CCM Member of Parliament aspirant in Ukerewe, Mr Joseph Mkundi as well as several party’s aspirants for councillorship seats.
“Our plans are to electrify all remaining villages, and here in Ukerewe, already 70 villages have been connected to electricity, the coming phase will be for all others including Gana that has 3000 residents,” he noted.
Mr Mkundi insisted that, for the past five years, 80 per cent of villages were connected to electricity between 2015-2020, adding that it will go further to effectively implement the 2020-2015 election manifesto on energy sector.
Among the achievements recorded in the past five years, the government managed to increase the production of electricity from 1,308 Megawatts in the year 2015 to 1602 Megawatts in 2020.
The supply of electricity in the country has increased to 70 per cent in 2020 from 36 per cent in 2015, construction of electricity projects has reduced the cost of electrifying rural households from an average of 454,000/- to 27,000/-.
