Permanent secretaries meeting targets on potentials of energy and infrastructure

A SPECIAL committee of permanent secretaries is meeting in Dodoma, the country’s newly designated capital city for the first time to decide on key development issues including the energy and infrastructure needed to meet envisaged government development targets. Chaired by Chief Secretary (CS) Ambassador John Kijazi, the strategic meeting will consider pending issues ranging from statistics, implementation of strategic development projects, investment, trade and climate change. Briefing reporters ahead of the three-day closed door meeting, the CS said the meeting involves a special committee of permanent secretaries from all ministries in the country. “We will receive, analyse and deliberate on the various issues that emerge from different ministries before forwarding them to the cabinet for decision-making,” he said. The meeting which is being held in Dodoma is one among a series of technical conferences which have been held by the committee in Dar es Salaam. “This meeting is being held here for the first time since the new administration under President John Magufuli came to power in November 2015. Such meeting helped the government to decide on implementation of the crude oil pipeline from Uganda to Tanga,” he added. According to the CS, holding meetings in Dodoma was part of the government’s decisions to shift its administration from the port city of Dar es Salaam to the central region. He confirmed that almost all ministries have now relocated their offices to Dodoma from Dar es Salaam. Amb. Kijazi directed all permanent secretaries and their deputies to relocate their residences permanently to the new capital, stressing that all government related duties must be handled in Dodoma. The government started relocating its capital from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma last year when the Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, officially moved to the central region. The move aims to centralise government ministries as Dodoma is viewed as a more central location. The government’s resolve to move to Dodoma was made public by President Magufuli earlier in 2016, which he plans to effect before the end of his five year term.