Weed out irresponsible leaders, TTCL directed

ANNE ROBI

Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Prof Makame Mbarawa

THE management of the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) has been directed to weed out incompetent and irresponsible workers to enable the firm achieve its goals.

Works, Transport and Communications minister, Prof Makame Mbarawa, said in Dar es Salaam that the government would intervene and sack irresponsible leaders who fail to implement its directives.

“You (TTCL management) should organise yourselves and work tirelessly in order to enable the company provide quality services to ward off competition,” he said. He told the company’s managing director to reveal names of irresponsible workers and fraudsters to enable disciplinary action be taken against them.

The minister said TTCL has been sluggish in making advances because of poor management and problems caused by Bharti Airtel Africa that had shares in the company.

“Now that Bharti Airtel is out, you must work to ensure TTCL produces quality services to suit the nation’s interests,” he said, adding that the government had to pay 14.9bn/- to Bharti Airtel in order to give it full ownership.

The money, he said, was generated by the National Fibre Cable Network. He also said that TTCL had various debts, including 25bn/- paid to Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA). Prof Mbarawa urged the company to carry out a vigorous door-to-door campaign to promote its products.

“The core-business factor is marketing, the TTCL marketing department must mount a vigorous door-todoor and office-to-office campaign to market the company’s products,” he said.