Tanzania sacks about 10,000 civil servants with faked certificates

Cheating while applying for the positions in government ministries, agencies, local government has been increasingly discovered to be alarming in Tanzania, an aspect that the government has now decided to sack its 9,932 servants without mercy. The government has fired nearly 10,000 civil servants after discovering that they had phony academic documents, giving a 15-day ultimatum to voluntarily disappear from their workstations or face seven-year jail terms. The group includes 9,932 servants working in local government authorities (LGAs), public institutions, corporations and agencies. It was not immediately discovered how much the public officials have cost the government in wages, allowances, promotion, insurance and pensions, but the executive order issued yesterday in Dodoma put on ice their payments including this month’s salary. President John Magufuli, addressing the public shortly after receiving an evaluation report on academic qualifications for 435,000 public servants countrywide, said: “These people must immediately disappear and their vacant positions filled.” He described the embattled officials as “robbers and shoplifters” who do not deserve to be civil servants. The evaluation, which was commissioned by the President’s Office (Public Service Management and Good Governance) and conducted by a 15-member team, was a follow-up exercise after a nationwide crackdown on ghost workers that nabbed 19,706. According to the President, the removal of the ghost workers saved the government 19.8bn/- per month or 238.2bn/- per year, paid as salaries to non-existent officials. “The government average monthly collection was 800bn/- yet salaries alone amounted to 700bn/- . . . 

 

President Magufuli insisting a ;point after having received the report

With this challenge, the country remained stagnant and therefore, the government decided to hunt for a lasting solution,” the President said. The report presented to the President by Public Service and Good Governance Minister, Angela Kairuki showed that 9,932 officials or 2.4 per cent of civil servants had fake academic documents - 1,538 (0.3 per cent) had controversial documents and 11,569 which is about 2.8 per cent having submitted incomplete documents, during the evaluation process. President Magufuli further ordered 1,538 officials whose academic documents appeared to be used by 3,076 officials, put on hold pending thorough investigations. “They should also not receive this month’s salary. This means there are more jobs for competent graduates and those who have been unemployed,” he said. He, however, cautioned officials conducting the evaluation exercise to ensure that only those with legitimate documents are retained. The Head of State urged those who know that they submitted fake documents to also voluntarily disappear from their working stations before May 15, this year. “Those who will be reluctant, we know their names. I will urge the police to arrest them and have them charged in the court of law. ” While it might sound as a favour to those who have been enjoying decent jobs, for them not to be arraigned, the President ordered all those who featured in the list of those with phony documents to be published in daily newspapers. “Let the public know all those who had fake documents. Some young men holding first-class qualifications were denied jobs by those holding fake documents.” The new job opportunities totals to 64,456 including the 52,456 posts announced by Minister Kairuki in the Parliament when presenting her ministry’s budget estimates for FY 2017/18.

Magufuli inspects Union parade celebrations for the first time

PRESIDENT John Magufuli on Wednesday this week made his maiden address at the climax of 53 years of the Union celebrations, making a moving plea to his compatriots to maintain peace and unity to ensure a one strong, peaceful nation. “The truth of the matter is, in order to strengthen and grow as one nation. “We need peace and unity to reign,” the President and Commander-in-Chief, said when addressing the climax of the Union festivities, marked at Dodoma’s designated capital city for the first time. Dr Magufuli said protecting the Union had not been easy, but vowed his government would do ‘whatever it takes’ to safeguard the unification of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; these once sovereign nations merged to form the United Republic of Tanzania on April 26, 1964, merely one year after Zanzibar gained her independence in 1963 and about four years since Tanganyika was declared independent in 1961. At the event held with the new capital as lynchpin, President Magufuli said the vision of the founders of the nation was to have one strong nation and “it’s our vision to continue realizing that union.” “If some had even failed to protect their marriage … today we celebrate 53 years … this calls for an appraisal to those who have made it possible.” “Our founders, Presidents Julius Nyerere and Abeid Aman Karma who signed the Union documents my predecessors, Presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Benjamin Mkapa, and immediate former President, Dr Jakaya Kikwete and their Zanzibaris counterparts,” he said.  He added: “President Ali Mohamed Shein and I … we will uphold the good practices to protect this union.” More than 15,000 delegates including government officials, members of diplomatic corps, political and religious leaders were in Jamhuri Stadium. Thousands others were outside the stadium monitoring through a live-telecast projected at two big screen and others across the country followed up the proceeding through radio, online and Tvs that broadcast live. According to Magufuli, the nation must reflect where it’s coming from, its current state and where we’re headed, 53 years after the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. 

President inspects a guard of honour which was amounted for him during the 53rd Union anniversary at Jamhuri stadium in Dodoma city on Wednesday this week

A large number of the Tanzanian population was born after the Union and figures suggest it could be as large as 90 per cent. On this score, the head of state seized ‘the hour’ to showcase his own score-card: Improved infrastructure, simplified access to social services and strengthened democracy. “We have a joint committee charged with Union matters under the Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan … and all ministers are enjoined to the committee. I am equally optimistic that the committee is working hard to ensure all Union issues are resolved expeditiously,” he said. Apparently, the president said the government was well committed to achieving the promises made by the founders … to move the administrative capital from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma. To date, at least 3,000 civil servants have moved from Dar es Salaam and it is expected that, come 2020, all government administrative offices including the President’s Office would have moved camp. President Magufuli announced yesterday over 200bn/- had been allocated during FY2017/18 specifically to finance the Dar-Dodoma state migration process. In the meantime, the government is moving to invest in infrastructure development to accommodate the new demands for the capital, he added. Thousands of people, some armed with plastic cloaks and others holding umbrellas, gathered at Jamhuri Stadium here yesterday defying heavy rain to watch the 53rd Union anniversary celebrations.

Scores of individuals left without compensation for SGR project in Tanzania

As the first phase of a 160 kilometer stretch of a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project has been inaugurated in Tanzania, the government has said that it would not compensate structures earlier pulled down to pave the way for the construction project. Prior to the inauguration of the project which took place two weeks ago at Pugu station on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city, three weeks ago hundreds of citizens had been left homeless in preparation for a long awaited project.  About 200 of their structures found to have been built within an area earmarked for the construction which is within 30 meters away from the main central railway line, had been pulled down. The exercise which was conducted by the state run Reli Assets Holding Company (RAHCO) has affected people in Buguruni, Vingunguti and Gongo la Mboto suburbs on the outskirts of the Dar es Salaam city who have been left in a distressed mood without a single payment for compensation. RAHCO’s Director General Masanja Kadogosa has said that, in order for his company to flag off the long awaited SRG project, it has to undergo preliminary preparations that involved together with the removal of people’s structures illegally built within the railway reserve areas to ensure its succession. 

However, he further clarified that the destruction was conducted as per the laws guiding the safety of railways line which is stipulated within the Railways Act of 2002. According to the law, it is strictly prohibited to conduct any human activity or build a house within the railway reserve area of 30 meters away from the main railway line, and that whatever such type of a structure is found should be destroyed without compensation.  The railway line would reduce cost of transportation in the country by reducing the number of heavy trucks on the highways thereby making an attractive investment destination. This is expected to reduce further the number of accidents, hence making roads safer for human traffic. As Tanzania’s fifth phase government has devoted to build an industrial state, the newly constructed railway line would speed up the industrialization process through cheaper transport that would ease the establishment of new industries thus, contributing to the GDP growth of at least 11 percent per annum from the currently 7 percent.

TPDC unable to collect geological data of oil exploration in Tanzania

THE Tanzania’s National Petroleum Development Cooperation (TPDC) is said to have no an overall control of the full quality data reports which it supervises for the geological and geo-physical exploration about oil and gas exploration currently going on in the country. The current report issued by office of the Controller Accounts General (CAG) has indicated that, there is danger of destroying the quality, the correctness and the level of the understanding about the data reports due to lack of the effective system TPDC has in supervising the data reports on the exploration. The CAG Professor Mussa Assad said in his report mid this week that, “TPDC is in danger of releasing negative reports of the results about the data reports due to lack of sufficient knowledge it has in analyzing the available data of the geological and geo-physical. According to the report, under the five years of operation between 2010-2015 respectively, there were a total of 71 projects which were registered in the exploration and development of oil and gas in the country. However out of these only 4 percent of the projects have been inspected so far to see if they have complied with the principles laid down of the environmental protection. The report further shows that, there has not been further effective inspection and follow-ups of the oil and gas projects to see that if they conform to the already imposed standards of the protection of the environment required which were put in place when analyzing the negative impact likely to be caused by bad environment. The report has further indicated that, “due to the continued situation there has no efficiency shown in revenue collection of the activities related with the exploration of oil and gas going on in the country. However, the report has put down that the total revenue collection from the oil and gas sectors is below the average and the government has not yet succeeded to its maximum level of its revenue collection for the sector. For the last five years of a trading period, the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has collected below the average of the Tanzania shillings worth Ts. 208 billion, the amount that is equivalent to an annual budget allocation for a single ministry in the country. The report has uncovered that there is low capacity level of producing local experts to curb the increased demand for the sector in general an aspect that the sector might fail to produce as required. Either for the period of 4 years (2012-2016) the government had issued the intended technical training for 6 percent only out of the total number required at a level of technical expertise. There is a shortage of 48 percent of the training in oil and gas sector. The government is able to implement only 20 percent of its targets in the implementation of its long term training programmes. This has been discovered that at this level, the production of the needed expertise is not enough to run the entire operational needs for the sector as required.

Professor from US challenges Tanzania’s industrialized economy

A renowned Professor of economy has challenged the concept of the industrialization drive currently being undertaken in quick pace by Tanzania government saying that, without building institutions, the fifth phase government would fail in its undertakings in near future. Professor Lant Pritchett of the Harvard Kennedy School from the USA confirmed recently that that, “Tanzania government needs to reinforce its institutions into performing better in order to reach high level of the industrialized economy”.He said that, most African states have failed to accomplish their dreams of the industrial development in their countries because of the poor implementation of the imposed institutions (such as laws, policies, rules and regulations). He said even if the institutions are there, but they might be so weak to enable leaders to supervise with a view to further the industrial economy. However, he spoke citing examples of some countries in African continent which he noted are not so serious in implementing their own institutions, a result of which ended up in total failure. In order to successfully attain the industrial economy, Professor Lant insisted that issues of corruption and other malpractices which harm the economy should be looked at more critically. Opening the 22^nd annual meeting of the economic stakeholders on poverty alleviation organized by REPOA recently, the Minister for Finance Dr. Phillip Mpango who graced the occasion as a guest of honor confirmed that the fifth phase government is currently diligent in the fight over corruption, embezzlement on public funds. The government is also fighting hard to restore public respect in work places towards building an industrialized economy with a view to alleviate people’s poverty so as to raise their standards of living. He said that, the ongoing crackdown on corruption, tax evasion, embezzlement and other mischief in public sector are meant to attract local and foreign investors so as to build an industrialized economy. The industrialization growth for Tanzania economy is an important concept which the current fifth phase government has prioritized since it came in power in late 2015. The concept aims to widen up the existing gap between the rich and the poor citizens in the country. Under the industrialization process, there are certain elements which are required in order to make an effective economic growth among the people in the country. Among the most important elements needed of all is the general education. Education is the most key concept for its role is to advocate the general idea of the whole concept about the industrialization process and what it entails as it is being undertaken by nations all over the world. Dr. Mpango highlighted various priority areas the government is concentrating on at the moment in order to remove obstacles for Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) to pave the way for industrialization development in the country. In Tanzania he said the move towards industrialization process is going well following intervention to improve the investment environment through scaling up infrastructure and power supply.