Zitto talks tough on expenditure transparency

ACT-Wazalendo party leader Zitto Kabwe speaks during the party’s executive council meeting in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO | COURTESY By Louis Kalumbia

More by this Author

Dar es Salaam. ACT-Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe yesterday called on the government to review  the system of disclosing revenue collections from new taxes,

and publish their expenditures so that people can keep tabs on  development projects.
Speaking during the ACT Wazalendo’s general council meeting in Dar es Salaam, Mr Kabwe specifically urged leaders at regional and constituency levels to keep a close eye on the funds that were being released as part of the Sh1.3 trillion Covid-19 loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He directed that close monitoring should also be done on expenditure of funds that were being collected in form of mobile money levy so that immediate reports can be made when fraudulent incidents are identified.
He said the government had the responsibility of regularly informing the public on the expenditure of such sources of revenues.
“In the current national budget the government signed off various taxes in efforts to increase government revenues. However, these taxes have become a burden to citizens, and despite the public outcry to have them rescinded, the government proceeded with implementation and went as far as outlining areas where these funds would be spent,” he said.
The public deserves answers on expenditure because, while most of the areas that had received money from the budget are also the same areas that would receive funds through the IMF loan.
Mr Kabwe said by being part of the government through Zanzibar’s Government of National Unity (GNU), ACT-Wazalendo was finding itself in a situation whereby it was expected to deliver on its promises (as part of the government) in the Isles while in Tanzania mainland, it has to offer checks and balances as an opposition party.
He said the government endorsed several charges in the recent budget in its efforts to improve revenue collections, noting that however those charges have remained a huge burden to citizens.
“I call upon the government to transparently tell citizens how funds from the two different sources will be used. Sectors that will receive funds from the IMF funding shouldn’t be provided with revenue collected through charges to reduce burdens carried by citizens.”
He instructed party leaders to introduce a special audit system on expenditure of funds from the two sources and frequently report to the party’s secretary general to enable the party raise its voices in case of fraudulent expenditures.
Mr Kabwe said transparency in expenditure of such funds was among the conditions agreed between the government and IMF.
“The government procedure to announce monthly collections from mobile transfer charges and allocations should be maintained in order to enable citizens to make close monitoring,” he said.
He hinted that ACT-Wazalendo was facing challenges to deliver in the GNU government, and make the it accountable to the Union government.
The former Kigoma Urban MP said the party is charged to ensure party members in the unity government smoothly implement their duties in serving citizens, fix administrative defects and challenge implemented policies that push back peoples development.
“ACT-Wazalendo should challenge whenever things are not properly moving and give advice,” he said, warning that fear should be avoided in criticising the government because that is a patriotic thing to do.

Petty traders (‘Machingas’)
Mr Kabwe said leader’s threats and issuing business IDs would not end challenges that are the products of the failure of a country’s economy to produce jobs.
“The meeting should declare and instruct experts in the party’s department of policy and research to formulate and come up with the party’s machinga policy that will serve as our guideline,” he said.

Government of National Unity
He said the Sh325 billion and Sh340 billion that were blocked from implementation of electricity and infrastructure projects respectively under the World Bank (WB) funding have been revived under the GNU system.
“Zanzibar has also received Sh230 billion share from Sh1.3 trillion from IMF RCF which is 17.5 percent illegible to share the Isle whenever the United Republic of Tanzania receives aid and loans from abroad,” he said.

New Constitution
The government inherited an economy with falling revenues and growing national debt.
“Unity is required for the country’s economic recovery efforts to succeed, that is why dialogue among political players is very important,” he said.
He said the declaration should be made to place ACT-Wazalendo at the forefront in the struggles for the New Constitution and independent electoral commission before 2024 civil polls and the 2025 General Election.