MPs decry state spending over 22bn/- of tax payers money on refreshments

By Felister Peter

Finance minister, Saada Mkuya

As Finance minister Saada Mkuya is set to windup legislator’s contributions on the national budget for the 2014/15 fiscal year, the law makers have urged the government to remove the 22bn/- it has allocated to itself for only refreshments.


In their contributions to the budget speech yesterday in Dodoma, Members of Parliament expressed concerns over what they described as ‘a huge amount of money that has been set for refreshments in different ministries and government institutions.’

Kasulu Urban MP, Moses Machali (NCCR-Mageuzi) said that it isn’t right for the government to allocate billions of money just for its own refreshments yet there are so many other crucial sectors that require funding.

“We cannot approve a budget that places such huge amounts of money for refreshments while teachers are suffering with low payments…their allowances remain unpaid for years now,” he lamented.

Machali questioned whether ministers and other government officials, being some of the highest paid workers, cannot afford their own snacks such that they need to use tax payers’ hard earned money.

He said it would make more sense if the money was allocated for teachers and several other civil workers including medical personnel who receive very low wages and that way serve as an incentive towards better service delivery.

Similarly, Suzan Lyimo, Special Seats (Chadema) advised the government to reduce recurrent expenditures which according to her are high compared to development expenditures.

“How could it (government) allocate so much funds for snacks while 12 percent of Tanzanians are living in extreme poverty spending less than 1 USD per day,” Suzan decried.

Magu Member of Parliament, Festus Limbu (CCM) said the government should reduce unnecessary expenditures and allocate funds to crucial projects.

Despite the raised concerns and threats not to endorse the budget given such shortcomings, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Job Ndugai went on to call on MPs to attend the parliament session today without fail so as to ‘ensure successful endorsement of the 2014/15 national budget.’

“Tomorrow, every one of you must show up as we are going to vote for the approval of the national budget,” he said.

The 19.6trn/- government budget for the coming financial year was tabled in the august House on June 12, this year by Finance ninister Saada Mkuya. The budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, this year was 18.2trn/-. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN