TAZARA in major strategic move to end long time delay on payment of workers

LYDIA SHEKIGHENDA

TANZANIA-ZAMBIA Railway Authority (TAZARA) is working on a long term solution for the delay in payment of workers’ salaries and other government obligations.

According to Tazara Managing Director, Mr Bruno Tandeo Chingandu, the authority can address its shortfalls if appropriate measures will be taken to generate enough revenue through its operations.

Mr Chingandu was speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday during a blood donation exercise by Tazara employees, as part of the activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the authority. He said that currently the two governments of Tanzania and Zambia have decided to effect the salary payments of workers on time, thus raising the workers’ morale.

“We have not experienced any problem related to workers payments for the past nine months ... We commend our two governments for the financial support to meet our operational expenses,” Mr Chingandu said.

He further said that despite the support by the two shareholding governments, Tazara has taken initiatives to ensure that it generate sufficient revenue to meet its operational costs such as increasing market and good customer relations.

“Tazara must earn its money through its operations to enable it pay workers’ salaries and other statutory payments,” Mr Chingandu said. The MD, however, explained that the company performance has improved in recent months, whereby the transit time between the two terminal points of Tazara has improved to less than 7 days in the last 10 months.

“Our customers are happy that we are now able to deliver freight within a week and some of them who abandoned our services are now coming back,” he said.

He further said that the authority has also managed to raise the annual performance from 87,000 metric tons of freight in the Financial Year 2014/2015 to 130,000 metric tons in the Financial Year 2015/2016, which translated into revenues of USD13.50 million for the year ending 30th June 2016.

Commenting on the blood donation, Mr Chingandu said that the exercise was meant to give back to the community where they operate.

He said the donation of the life saving liquid should not be a one day event, but more people should be encouraged to donate blood to cater for the country’s demand.

The Blood Donor Recruiter with National Blood Transfusion Service, Mariam Juma said that the blood shortage in the country’s hospitals can be addressed if every Tanzanian will donate the life saving liquid at least twice a year. Ms Juma said NBTS has set a target of collecting 230, 000 blood units in 2016/2017.

She explained that a research conducted in 2013 to assess the blood need in the country’s hospitals per year recommended that at least 230,000 units can meet the demand. She, however, noted that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the blood demand of the country is equal to 1 per cent of the population of the respective country.