CDA seeks for private sector development assistance

In a bid to quicken Dodoma municipality into becoming a national capital city, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is in place to create a conducive environment which would enable it to depend entirely on the assistance of private sector developing initiatives. It has been learnt. An attendant at the CDA stand Kisamo Burhani said when visited at the just ended Nanenane agricultural show ground on Friday this week. He said that, the move by the CDA is after having seen there is a slow pace for its development initiatives currently being undertaken by the government into developing  a newly designated national capital city since it was officially announced in 1973 over 40 years ago. He said that, since the declaration by the government to transfer the government business activities from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma town over 40 years ago, very little development has been made despite efforts by CDA to ensure plans are intact in regard to years of existence it has been in operation. CDA is a sole national authority which was formed by Act of Parliament with a view to supervise and develop Dodoma town into becoming a national capital city, and among its mission is to ensure that a Master plan for the city and developments in it are strictly observed.  The authority has an overall control of the Dodoma Municipality including capital city district and its suburbs. It also has the Board of Directors and Director General who administers four directorates namely, the directorate of Administration, Estate development, Environment management Engineering and Construction as well as directorate of Planning. All these directorates operate are under the Presidential Capital Development Commission whose Chairperson is the Prime Minister who is assisted by the Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office According to Burhan, the government does not set a budget for the CDA in order to accomplish the basic needs required for the development purpose for which it was established. However, he said adding that the executives do not show determination over the issue. He said the first Master plan for the city development was issued in 1976 and was reviewed in 2010 but up to now very little development is made  and no any remarkable development feature which can show the general public that their government is serious with the issue. He was astonished to see that, the Nigerian government adopted the Tanzanian system and implemented the idea in their country and could not delay with the matter as now the country’s national business activities are based in Abuja instead of Lagos where they were before. Cornered for comments, one show goer an ex-service personnel during colonial time and later Tanganyika and Tanzania  Obadiah Kussenah said that, they had their salaries deducted to contribute for the development of CDA but wondered up to now nothing has shown up. Kussenah an agriculturalist and former secondary teacher before he joined agricultural research institutes  has retired from  the government service 30 years ago and now he works as a consultant on the agricultural crop production in Dodoma rural. However, he wonders how the executives are so reluctant to implement the transfer to a designated capital as it was made ever since by the first President of the United Republic ogf Tanzania the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. “For this issue, the  government has to be blame for not taking serious actions despite the master plan is in place” he said. According to Burhan, CDA is creating an environment to welcome investments and has demarcated enough land spaces in strategic areas surrounding the Universities, National Capital centers for the development of housing estates and apartment development.