Speaker faults Mkulo over `shoddy` response

BabuK

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National Assembly Speaker Anne Makinda declared in the House yesterday that Finance Minister Mustafa Mkulo and his deputy, Pereila Ame Silima, have failed to answer a question on the success of privatisation policy.

She made the declaration after the two ministers had tried to avoid a supplementary question posed by Kigoma North legislator (Chadema) Kabwe Zitto, who had demanded explanation regarding twelve cashew nuts factories and other industries which were privatised in 1980s.

“That is a different question. I think, it should be brought as an independent question (in future). We ask the legislator to bring us a separate question on the matter,” said Mkulo.

However, Makinda intervened to clarify: “That is not the way a minister responds to a question. In fact, the legislator hasn’t asked a different question, he was just giving examples of industries. So, you have failed to answer the question all together on the issue of privatisation success”.

When winding up yesterdays activities, she quoted parliamentary standing orders to clarify further that House Standing Orders give her powers to ask any Minister to respond afresh to a question, which the chair deems it hasn’t been answered properly.

A basic question that Makinda wants to be answered anew in the next meeting was posed by Magdalena Sakaya (Special Seat-CUF), who had wanted to know how many Tanzanians have so far benefited from implementation of the privatisation policy.

Earlier, Silima informed the House that about 78 public institutions got privatised under the policy by 1993. “According to my knowledge, 42 public institutions were revamped and 17 were not performing well,” he said.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
 
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