Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa made yet
another impromptu tour at the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and
inspected the Port’s receiving and clearing cargo system, after getting
reports that 2,431 containers were cleared without paying taxes.
Following such stomach-turning theft, Mr
Majaliwa ordered the TPA acting manager, Hebel Mhanga, to present the
names of all those involved in the clearing of the 2,431 containers to
his office by 5pm today and issued one week for the billing system to be
changed to electronic based e-payment system.
According to inspection report conducted
at the Port from March to September 2014, the 2,431 containers were
cleared without remitting government revenue through four Inland
Container Deports (ICDs); JEFAG, DICD, PMM and AZAM.
Apparently only 10 TPA officers were
taken to task over the matter and were suspended. “You decided to
suspend the small fish and let the big ones continue working.... the
government cannot continue losing revenue like this,” Premier Majaliwa
stressed.
While at the Port, Prime Minister
Majaliwa inspected different departments of the TPA and witnessed how
cargo was inspected using scanners. While in the scanning room, Prime
Minister Majaliwa found a manifest, showing a container was full of
diapers, while the scanned picture showed the container was full of
electricity gadgets.
According to the Acting Port Manager
from the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Ben Usaje, who is also
supervisor of the scanning section, with such contradicting information
of what is written on the manifest and what is contained in the cargo,
the report is usually forwarded to the responsible ICDs, so they can
inspect by opening the container.
The Premier also toured the Tanzania
Railways Limited (TRL) where he inspected wagons and talked to employees
who told him of problems they were facing, some involving salaries and
monthly deductions meant for pension funds and SACCOS.
At the TRL offices, Premier Majaliwa
inspected station wagons at the central station and talked to workers
who aired their grievances that included deductions on salaries to the
prime minister.
Speaking to the TRL Director General,
Eng Elias Mshana, the Prime Minister said his visit was to learn the
operations of the railway company, but noted that he has reports of the
company receiving 13.5bn/- from government to improve TRL infrastructure
but nothing has been done so far.
“The aim of the money from government
was to improve TRL projects so that the company can progress on its own
as a business entity but you decided to squander the money,” he noted.
He added: “I also have reports that you
also got a loan of 3bn/- from Tanzania Investment Bank to operate TRL
projects, but instead you decided to use the money to pay your own
salaries. So how will you pay back the loan when there is no project
running,” queried the premier.
The Prime Minister received detailed
accounts of workers’ claims from the TRL TRAWU Secretary, Boaz Nyakeke,
which included monthly deductions that had not been remitted to pension
funds and the TRL SACCOS.
Majaliwa directed Eng Mshana to oversee
improvements of TRL transport services in the city centre, so that once
the DART buses start operating, the public can have an alternative
choice.
“We want to build a big yard outside of
city, where people can park their motor vehicles and use DART or TRL
transport services to get to the city centre, as one way of reducing
traffic congestion in the city,” he explained.
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