Embezzlers of TASAF funds under probe

DAILY NEWS Reporters in Dodoma

GOVERNMENT will probe allegations that some of its officials are using the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) projects for enriching themselves.

Minister of State in the President’s Office (Good Governance and Public Service Management), Ms Angella Kairuki made the pledge when responding to Bunda Member of Parliament, Esther Bulaya (Chadema).

In her supplementary question to the National Assembly, Ms Bulaya accused some government officials of using TASAF project funds for peddling political influence to win public attention.

“There have been complaints that some of the top officials tasked with managing these funds misuse them,” she said, adding: “We have also shocking news that even some of the officials used the funds for political activities.” Minister Kairuki promised to investigate the allegations and subsequently take legal and disciplinary measures against the culprits.

“We are going to work on these claims and eventually take legal action against the criminals should we establish that there was mismanagement of such funds,” she noted, insisting that the government was not going to close its eyes to any corrupt practices.

Meanwhile, the minister pointed out that the objective of TASAF III was to enable poor households increase incomes and promote opportunities for self-employment. According to the minister, the targeted beneficiaries are people living below the poverty line.

“The project is a brainchild of the government’s commitment to enable most vulnerable households acquire basic need,” she said. She said 30 per cent of the households in the country are yet to be covered by the project.

“Government is all out to ensure that all households are covered through identification by local leaders. Minister Kariuki was responding to Kaliua legislator, Ms Magdalena Sakaya (CUF) who wanted to know how the government was identifying poor families and how the projects were being implemented.

The lawmaker also claimed that in Kaliua district there were only 54 villages earmarked while almost all villages had poor families.