TPDC’s late document submission irks MPs

LYDIA SHEKIGHENDA in Dodoma

TANZANIA Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC)’s top officials were yesterday kicked out of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting over late submission of essential documents.

This is the second time TPDC officials have been ordered out of the PAC meeting. The committee had in 2014 ordered the arrest of the corporation’s two top officials over failure to submit 26 natural gas production sharing agreements as the lawmakers had demanded.

The then acting Director General James Andilile and Board Chairman Michael Mwanda faced the wrath of the then Kigoma North legislator, Mr Zito Kabwe, who chaired the committee. The committee members refused to debate the TPDC financial report and gave a marching order to the corporation’s Board Chairman,Professor Sufiani Bukurura, acting Director General Kapulia Msomba and acting Finance Director Ahmed Masa.

The MPs claimed that TPDC has violated the regulations governing the parliamentary committees by submitting the documents yesterday morning instead of three days as required by the law. Malinyi MP, Dr Hajji Mponda, faulted TPDC for disobeying the Parliamentary Standing Orders.

“This is not the first time TPDC ignores the committee’s directives and breaching the Parliamentary Standing Orders ... in 2014 the management refused to submit before the committee the natural gas production sharing agreements, leading to the arrest of the top officials,” he said.

Mr Mponda reminded TPDC to understand that the parliamentary committee meetings were being conducted as per regulations and Parliamentary Standing Orders. According to PAC Committee Secretary, Mr Erick Maseke, TPDC was notified about the meeting and important documents to be presented before the committee three weeks ago.

He added that the institution was also advised to submit the documents to the committee members at least three days before the meeting to allow MPs to do their job smoothly. Vwawa legislator Japhet Hasunga (CCM), said that the late submission of the documents has impeded their performance on the job, saying they did not expect TPDC, a crucial government institution, to act against the parliamentary regulations.

“We are not ready to debate the TPDC financial report which has been distributed to us this morning for we have not read it,” Mr Mponda said, noting that MPs were supposed to get the report at least three days before meeting the TPDC officials.

Kilindi MP, Mr Omari Kigua, questioned the reason behind the late submission of the important documents for the committee meeting, saying TPDC audit report will not be submitted at the coming parliamentary session scheduled for November 1 because it has not been presented to the committee.

“This has affected not only the MPs but also their electorate because there are important issues of public interests contained in the report,” he said. Sikonge legislator Joseph Kakunda faulted TPDC for disobeying regulations governing the parliamentary committee meetings and the country’s constitution.