National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai speaks during the CSO Week opening ceremony in Dodoma on Saturday. PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT
Dar es Salaam. CCM regional and party wing leaders have defended the party’s national chairperson, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan, against National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai’s statement on the burgeoning public debt.
On December 28, 2021, Mr Ndugai was quoted from Dodoma as saying that the enactment of a law to introduce mobile money transaction fees was better than going for loans.
“Our ‘Mama Samia’ (President Hassan) recently secured a Sh1.3 trillion loan. Which is better? Tanzanians of over 60 years of independence keeping borrowing and ballooning debts? We better cover for own developments instead of the excessive borrowing,” he said.
“When are we going to execute developments on our own and how? Is begging respectful? Once we have secured loans, we clap our hands…how can we afford daily borrowing?”
He said the mobile money transactions act was introduced despite the opposition of some stakeholders in order to build the country’s capacity to develop on its own.
However, witnessing the signing of the standard railway gauge (SGR) contract at the Magogoni State House on December 28, 2021, President Hassan said her administration would keep on borrowing to complete the projects.
Singida’s CCM regional chairman Juma Kilimba supported the government: “Sh1.3 trillion secured from the World Bank (WB) came at the right time to execute various development projects.”
He said Singida Region received Sh28 billion for construction of 700 secondary school classrooms as well as improving water and health projects.
“There is some noise going on trying to discourage this practice. But, we in CCM believe that this country will be built through different principles including accessing soft loans from friendly countries and development partners,” said Mr Kilimba.
His Dar es Salaam counterpart Kate Kamba said: “Dar es Salaam is benefiting from the WB funds including construction of the Jangwani Bridge expected to use some Sh190 billion.”
Closing a meeting of the Regional Consultative Committee (RCC), Simiyu Regional Commissioner David Kafulila said President Hassan was on the right track in the supervision of the national debt and foreign loans.
He said the Moody’s institution report released on August 30, 2021 assessed the government with the B2-Stable Grade which is the highest compared to many African countries including Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique.
“In the Moodys report, which is a leading institution for conducting assessment on the governments and companies economic stabilities. The sixth government has been positively ranked, therefore, critics should read economic research instead of making unsupported comments,” he said.
CCM youth wing (UVCCM) chairman Kenan Kihongosi said the amount secured by President Hassan’s government for development projects was very small compared to past loans.
“A country that can be trusted with loans should be commended for being so trusted and having pre-requisite qualifications. It is like how an individual who secures loans from commercial banks and financial institutions,” he said.
He said the country couldn’t have classrooms we have today if the Head of State would have opted to lock herself at State House.
He reminded that CCM had procedures providing its members opportunities to submit their arguments and claims instead of people to arbitrarily speak despite of having the right to speech and opinion.
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