THE government has paid out 50bn/- in outstanding arrears owed to teachers and other public servants across the country.
Meantime, two critical road links are up
for upgrading to tarmac level to effectively connect five regions of
Arusha, Singida, Simiyu, Shinyanga and Manyara once completed. Prime
Minister Kassim Majaliwa made these revelations on Monday during his
meeting with councillors and public servants at the Haydom hospital in
Mbulu district, Manyara region.
The premier said the government had the
interest of the public, and that it put great value to its civil
servants; already, it’s paying out outstanding arrears amounting to
29bn/- owed to 63,000 teachers, as another 21bn/- was being paid out to
other cadres of public servants.
He noted that the government had since
introduced the electronic ‘Lawson’ salary system which has facilitated
initiating better control measures over any accumulation of such arrears
within the public sector.
Premier Majaliwa noted further that the
electronic salary system currently in use for both central and local
government officers had since helped safeguard, transfer and reconcile
data on public servants much more efficiently -- from the time of their
employment to when they are due for promotion and, or, retire.
Mr Majaliwa who is in the region for a
six-day working tour said the councillors were responsible for
overseeing revenue collection in their respective councils, urging heads
of departments to provide them with updated reports.
He noted that the government appreciated
the contribution of public officials, especially those at the
grassroots levels, saying: “That’s why I always schedule to meet with
public officers in my working tours … so as to remind them of the
government’s position as well as their own responsibilities in serving
the public.”
“I am here to call upon everyone to work
hard … President Magufuli wants public servants to serve Tanzanians
without discrimination … do not discriminate (against anyone) just
because a person does not have money, or on their political ideologies
or colour of their skin,” he warned. He added, “…we want you to serve
everyone equally without discrimination.
Sending people away … or asking them to
come back the next day creates room for corruption. We are fighting
corrupt officers because they have denied the government a lot of money
that would have gone to provide better services to Tanzanians … such as
water and other development projects.”
He called upon the officials to uphold
integrity and trust, stressing that the government was dishing out a lot
of money for development projects, and that it expects that money to be
spent on planned work.
“Funds meant for development projects
should be channelled to the respective projects … do not touch those
funds for any other purpose than for what they were meant … because if
you do, it will burn you. Be very careful with those funds,” he
stressed. He urged district directors, heads of departments to cooperate
with councillors and provide them with reports whenever they receive
funds from the Central Government.
“You must inform the Councillors
whenever you receive funds … and the purpose for which they are given.
The Councillors are the overseers of these funds,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the government plans to
tarmac two major roads that will link the five regions of Arusha,
Singida, Simiyu, Shinyanga and Manyara: This is a 389km stretch from
Karatu-Mbulu-Haydom-Sibiti- Lalago-Meatu to Maswa, also popularly known
as the ‘Serengeti Southern Bypass.’
The other one is from Haydom to Katesh
(74km) which includes the Magara bridge connecting Mbulu and Babati
which will effectively open up Manyara region to increased economic and
trade opportunities.
Prime Minister Majaliwa stressed that
the government recognizes the importance of the two road links, and
whose completion will open up the region to increased economic
opportunities.
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