Chadema goes against the norm; preaches economy, supports JPM

BERNARD LUGONGO

OPPOSITION Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) yesterday went against the norm, quitting politics and preaching economy for the good of wananchi, at least for now.

“We have been preaching politics and have seen politicians focusing on politics, giving little space for economic matters. But, we have decided today to address only economic issues,” Chadema National Chairman Freeman Mbowe told editors and senior journalists in Dar es Salaam.

He reminded politicians to address economic issues, saying political parties, especially opposition, have ignored the economy, which is the source of sufferings among many Tanzanians.

He assured that the party will be discussing economic matters, monthly. “We had given our President (John Magufuli) a holiday by not challenging the government to address economic challenges,” he stated, hinting that during the party’s Central Committee meeting over the weekend, the monthly economic review reports of the central bank were critically analysed.

Mr Mbowe supported repossession of privatised public industries countrywide, especially the industries that were sold at throw away prices but cautioned that the government should carefully conduct the exercise particularly on factories whose buyers have changed uses.

He argued that based on business principles, the investor would have opted to change the use to generate more profit. “I am not condemning the president’s decision to repossess the privatised industries, I am only giving economic facts,” he noted.

“We don’t hate the battle for demanding rights for our country, but it should be carefully fought,” Mr Mbowe said. The party’s top organ argued that for the country to prosper economically, there should be an increase in production and decrease in consumption, citing huge allocation of recurrent budget.

“The government needs to come up with a short term strategic plan to overhaul the economy,” he appealed. Mr Mbowe blamed the current food inflation on reduced food reserve in the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), noting that the bag of maize is sold at 90,000/- up from 47,000/-.