Kwa akili yako fupi. Serikali inakusanya pesa zote hizo halafu inashindwa kukidhi bajeti yake ya 29 trillions! Hata uongo wa juzi wa dikteta uchwara kuingia madarakani huku kilo ya sukari ikiwa 5,000 uliuamini. Kuukimbia umande ni ghali sana
Miaka miwili sasa pesa nyingi zinakusanywa na Serikali lakini wakati huo huo hawana uwezo wa kukidhi bajeti na kuongeza mishahara. Sikurupuki ninapoandika hapa.
By Elias Msuya @TheCitizenTZ
emsuya@tz.nationmedia.com
Dar es Salaam. As the curtains close on yet another financial year, the harsh reality of unmet goals checks in amid revelations that only 34 per cent of funds were released in the fifth phase government’s 2016/17 development budget.
There was much hype, and a lot expectations when Parliament passed the Sh29.5 trillion budget last June.
Nearly half of it -- Sh11.8 trillion -- was earmarked for development projects. However, by February this year, the government had only released Sh3.97 trillion.
One of the major reasons for the slow pace, according to the government, is that development partners are not releasing funds as earlier expected.
While the government is still smarting from this major financial setback, it announced a Sh31.6 trillion budget framework for the 2017/18 financial year.
Even so, among the public and analysts, the lingering question is whether or not the new estimates are realistic in the prevailing environment.
There is the question of the role that Parliament will play to ensure that the budget that they pass is executed according to plan.
Tanzania has continuously been ranked low in the Open Budget Survey -- an initiative of the International Budget Partnership.
In 2015, Tanzania scored 46 per cent, while in 2006, 2008 and 2010 it scored 48, 35 and 45 per cent, respectively.
The OBS is a comprehensive analysis and survey that evaluates whether central governments give the public access to budget information and opportunities to participate in the budget process across 85 countries.
It also examines the ability of legislatures to hold their governments accountable. As per the 2010 Open Budget Index, the Tanzanian parliament’s budgetary oversight was rated weak because among the reasons cited, the National Assembly does not have full powers to change the governmnet’s budget proposals.
Another reason for the opoor ranking is that the Parliament does not have sufficient time to discuss and approve the executive’s budget proposal, citing receipt of the budget in less than six weeks before the start of the financial year; and Parliament does not hold open discussions during which the public can participate.
“In the spirit of good governance, there is a need for government to improve parliamentary oversight of the budget process and have it more involved throughout the budget cycle. Improving parliamentary involvement in the budget process augments the legislature’s oversight by creating an incentive to exercise power vis-a-vis the executive while enhancing its technical capacity,” suggests the report.
In citing examples of other African countries that have made some reforms in their budgetary processes, the report mentioned Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, among others that have revived their respective Parliament’s oversight function of the budget process by the establishment of an independent entity within the legislature.
“The parliament is an entity that examines the draft annual budget proposed by the executive and provides analytical support to parliamentarians for alternative budget proposals. The entity in reference is known as a parliamentary budget office,” says the report.
Mr David Silinde, the deputy shadow finance minister and Chadema MP (Momba), mainly blames “party caucuses” for the National Assembly’s failure to oversee the government when it comes to budget implementation.
“According to the Constitution of the United Republic and the parliamentary standing orders, we have the mandate to oversee the implementation of the national budget, but the party caucus hinders us to do so,” he said.
“You cannot imagine that until now, instead of implementing 100 per cent of the budget by the end of this June, the government has just covered 26 per cent.”
The MP is pessimistic that with only three months left to the end of June, the government would have implemented the remaining 74 per cent to fulfill its budgetary obligation.
“It is impossible to fill a gap of 74 per cent in the time that remains. This is the ninth month of the year. The problem is that CCM members, who are the majority in Parliament, can’t take the government to task because they feel that if they do so, they shoot themselves in the foot,” said Mr Silinde.
The opposition lawmaker warned that as long as the government send mixed signals on its commitment to respecting the rule of law, freedom of expression, among other pillars of democracy, development partners will not be under any pressure to support the system.
Haya sasa ona ripoti ya TRA toka Julai hadi September hiyo hapo, wastani kila mwezi ni 1.2 tril. Wewe ni mtu wa hovyo sana, kazi yako ni umbeya kusikiliza makelele ya Zitto bila kutafuta taarifa, sasa uliposema makusanyo ni 600M ulitoa wapi?, angalia usije ukaolewa kwa kusikiliza maneno ya vijiweni