PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has suspended three officials of Korogwe Township Council and ordered for their immediate arrest following misappropriation of funds at Korogwe Bus Stand in Tanga Region.
The suspended officials are Ms Subilaga Kapange, the Treasurer, Korogwe Bus Stand Manager, Mr Majid Salehe and his assistant who was identified by a single name of Ismail.
The Premier said that the officials being in charge of revenue collection at the bus stand failed to provide the government with its share despite earning money from levies paid by buses passing through the stand.
“You have been earning money which ended up in your pockets … information indicates that there are some days where you did not collect anything…we cannot tolerate this behavior… these officials should detained,” he said.
The PM issued the directives on Thursday while addressing Korogwe Township Council workers and citizens as part of activities of his official tour of Tanga Region.
He explained that Korogwe Township Council constructed the bus stand but the government was earning nothing while the people commissioned to collect the revenue had no contracts, a situation which impedes the council from attaining its objective in revenue collection. To date the council has collected only 36 per cent.
“There are some days in which the bus stand collects 51,000/-only, regardless of the number of buses passing through the area…On February 27 this year, nothing was collected, which means that there was not even a single bus which entered the bus stand…on February 28 the revenue collected was 785,000/-, and on February 29 this year, 500,000/-and 990,000/-was collected respectively, but there was no cash which was deposited to the bank,” Mr Majaliwa said.
He added that the officials deposited 11m/-on Wednesday after they heard of his tour of Tanga Region, but they had no bank slips for previous days because they never took the money to the bank.
The PM said the government can’t tolerate such workers. He ordered the Town Council Executive Director, Nicodemus Bei to find out how the money collected from his area was being spent.
He said all public servants were required to work hard, stressing that the fifth phase government will not tolerate unethical workers.
Mr Majaliwa called upon the civil servants to execute their duties by abiding by laws and regulations governing the public servants.
Meanwhile, the PM has called upon councilors in Korogwe Township Council to make close monitoring of revenue and expenditure in their area.
Tanga Regional Commissioner (RC), Martin Shigela said that following the embezzlement of funds at the bus stand, he has ordered the arrest of the treasurer of the township council.
Korogwe Urban Legislator, Ms Mary Chatanda called upon the Premier to support them in addressing the embezzlement of funds collected from the bus stand because it was not beneficial to the people.
