Chief Secretary stresses tough austerity actions

  

Chief Secretary (CS), Ambassador Ombeni Sefue,

SUNDAY NEWS Reporter

THE Chief Secretary (CS), Ambassador Ombeni Sefue, has challenged all civil servants to strictly implement the government’s orders on austerity cuts.

Ambassador Sefue said in a statement issued in Dar es Salaam yesterday by the Directorate of Presidential Communications, financial discipline must trickle down to all public offices. “President (John) Magufuli has shown us the way.

It is time for each executive to make personal evaluation on the degree of compliance to the directives on spending by ministries, departments and public institutions,” reads part of the statement.

In connection to financial control measures, Ambassador Sefue requested executive officers to reconsider importance in the publication, things like calendars, diaries and cards. “If there is need he or she should see the relevance and quantity to be ordered,” he noted.

“Again it stands to be another irresponsible spending of public resources as some of these diaries remained unused for the whole year,” the statement further notes. Since Dr Magufuli took power earlier this month after winning the October 25 general election, he has introduced a swathe of austerity measures and crackdowns on public corruption.

Earlier this week, Dr Magufuli suspended taxation chief, Rished Bade following a report of massive cheating by Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) officials at Dar es Salaam port, causing the government to lose over 80bn/- in revenue.

The president also scrapped independence day celebrations to spend the money on a clean-up campaign as Tanzania struggles with an outbreak of cholera. He also suspended foreign travel for government officials, pointing out huge amounts of money unnecessarily went down the drain instead of financing crucial social services.

President Magufuli recently directed National Assembly Speaker Mr Job Ndugai to redirect over 250m/- initially allocated for lavish party to procurement of beds, mattresses, wheelchairs and bedsheets for the main government hospital.

Last week, the president called off the International AIDS Day celebrations scheduled to be marked at national level in Singida from December 1-12, instead wanted funds allocated be directed to the purchase of life prolonging drugs for people living with HIV.