By Peti Siyame in Tanganyika
PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has assured the public that the government is still reviewing the newly-imposed mobile money transaction levies, saying the decision will come out on August 31, this year.
The Premier made the remarks while addressing a public rally, shortly after inspecting the construction of the strategic Karema Port terminal along the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika in Tanganyika District in Katavi Region.
Mr Majaliwa is on an official three-day tour of Katavi Region which started on Wednesday by inspecting the terminal which will serve as a zonal strategic Karema Port.
The government last month amended the Electronic and Postal Communication Act (CAP 306) by imposing a 'patriotic levy' on all mobile money transactions, depending on the amount sent and withdrawn.
It expects to raise 1.254tri/- from the levies to finance the 36.68tri/- budget for the 2021/22 financial year, with the government targeting to inject more funds towards financing rural development projects and improve social service delivery.
But new charges sparked outrage from citizens over rising costs of financial transactions. The government pledged to work on the public concern with President Samia Suluhu Hassan directing responsible ministers to address the challenge.
Speaking yesterday, Prime Minister Majaliwa said the government's decision on the new charges will be made public soon, but stressed that the introduction of levies has not affected financial transactions.
"I'm assuring citizens that the introduction of the charges has not affected the volume of mobile money transactions as per latest available data which shows that the trend remained the same before and after the new transaction levies came into effect," remarked the Prime Minister.
Mr Majaliwa further noted that since the new charges came into effect mid-last month, the government has fetched more than 48.4bn/-.
Mr Majaliwa said out of the total money, 37bn/- has been set aside for the construction of 560 classrooms and 150 health centres countrywide, with 22.5bn/- already disbursed to the President's Office Regional Administrations and Local Government (PORALG) to start implementation of the projects.
"The construction of 560 classrooms will help to accommodate a large number of primary and secondary school students in the next academic year," stated Mr Majaliwa.
Equally Mr Majaliwa further directed local government authorities that received the money to use the force account system in undertaking projects to construct those infrastructures.
The Premier assured of the government's commitment to continuing improving the provision of social services including health and education.
"The construction of 150 new health centres and 560 classrooms would play a significant role in reducing a shortage of education and health infrastructures across the country," the PM emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister warned men against engaging in love affairs with school girls, saying the perpetrators should brace themselves for harsher penalties, including a 30 years jail sentence.
"Each secondary school must have a hostel. This is one of the means to solve the problem," he noted, expressing the government's commitment to curb the problem.
He emphasised that teenage school girls must be protected to ensure that they pursue their studies without hindrances.
Earlier, Katavi Regional Commissioner Mwanamvua Mrindoko commended the sixth-phase government for its commitment to ensure the education and health infrastructures are improved.
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