 |
| Dr Mgimwa |
Tanzanians have greeted with dismay the 2012/13 Budget tabled by
Finance minister William Mgimwa in Dodoma on Thursday, saying it has not met
their expectations, after all.
A cross-section of opinion leaders and ordinary Tanzanians said the
Budget was unimaginative as far as the identification of new revenue sources
was concerned, with the government continuing to rely on tax increases on soft
drinks, alcoholic beverages, spirits and cigarettes.
Some said the government’s reliance on a narrow base of revenues
sources meant more misery for ordinary Tanzanians.Mr Abubakar Maneno, 53, a
Dodoma businessman, said yearly tax increases on alcoholic drinks would only
succeed in driving more people to illicit brews.
“It has been the trend for the government to ignore the plight of poor
people by thinking that we are not affected by price changes caused by upward
duty adjustments. Most people now have only one choice – illicit liquor and
brews,” he said.
The Kiota for Women’s Health and Development (Kiwohede) executive
director, Ms Justa Mwaituka, said this year’s Budget would pile on the agony
for ordinary Tanzanians whose lives have for many years been a daily struggle
to survive.
She told The Citizen on Sunday that the Budget would plunge poor Tanzanians
deeper into misery, adding that it did not augur well for food security in the
country.
“This Budget has forgotten farmers. The country is setting the stage
for severe food shortages by not investing adequately in agriculture, which is
the engine of economic growth,” Ms Mwaituka warned.
Prof Humphrey Moshi, an economics expert at the University of Dar es
Salaam, concurred, saying the government had shown that it did not very much
about agriculture despite its much-publicised ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ initiative.
“Agriculture is still the backbone of the economy. The government’s quest for higher revenue
without putting more emphasis on agriculture is an exercise in futility,” he
said.
He also criticised the decision to introduce personalised vehicle registration
plates, saying the move was made without comprehensive research having been
conducted.
“This will not enable the government to substantially increase revenue
collection. The government did not conduct comprehensive research before
approving the idea. How sure are they
that they will collect enough money from this area?” he asked.
The chairperson of Tumaini Women’s Group, Ms Mwajuma Msaghaa, said the
Budget was silent on the most vulnerable children and people living with
disabilities.
“It has been the norm for vulnerable children and poor people,
including the disabled, the elderly and widows, to be forgotten in the
government’s plans and budget every year as if they do not deserve to have a
share of the national cake…this should not be allowed to continue,” she said.
But Prof Kalafunjo Osaki, head of the Faculty of Education at the
University of Dodoma (Udom), said the Budget had addressed “very crucial”
issues, especially infrastructure development and unemployment. He added that high unemployment was caused by
lack of new ideas among government leaders, institutions and young people.
He said research should be conducted on entrepreneurship skills for
both undergraduate and graduate students, adding that the government also
needed to consider the role that school dropouts could play in small and
middle-scale enterprises.
Dr Mgimwa said when presenting the Budget that the government had taken
various measures to create employment by improving the policy and legal
environment to facilitate the growth of the private sector.
These include expanding financial services, including recapitalisation
of the Tanzania Investment Bank, Tanzania Women’s Bank, Tanzania Postal Bank
and Twiga Bancorp as well as well as establishing a mortgage and lease
financing company.
“Other measures include implementation of infrastructure projects,
specifically roads, electricity, agriculture and telecommunication, and to
empower people through various programmes,” Dr Mgimwa said.
He added that institutions that contributed to job creation included
Tanzania Social Action Fund (Tasaf), Small Entrepreneurs Loan Facility Project
(Self), Small Industries Development Organisation (Sido), community banks and
guarantee schemes.
In 2011/12, the government
employed 25,000 primary and secondary school teachers, 4,499 agricultural and
livestock extension officers and 4,499 medical specialists in the health
sector. However, the government did not reveal a number of youths who secured
jobs in the period.
Source: The Citizen, http://www.thecitizen.co.tz, reported by Edward Qorro and Florence Mugarula
in Dar and Daniel Msangya in Dodoma
0 comments :
Post a Comment