Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Planning and Research Manager Dr Ally Simba shows a radiation meter to members of the parliamentary Public Organisations Accounts Committee.

The Public Organizations Accounts Committee has finally adopted the 2010/11 financial report of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), which it had earlier rejected, saying technical reasons made it fail to understand it.

Committee deputy chairman Deo Filikunjombe admitted before a TCRA team of experts and POAC members yesterday that some materials in the report were too technical and that it didn’t have enough time to understand everything.

Last November the committee rejected the report, saying it indicated overexpenditure with regard to the regulator's new building, which had shot from 36bn/- to 40bn/-.

But when the committee visited the authority's offices yesterday, Filikunjombe told journalists that they were visiting TCRA to learn how it offered its services to the public.

“When we told the authority’s management to go to Dodoma for elaboration on some of the components of their report it was because the legislators doubted some of them,” said Filikunjombe.

He said they had visited the authority’s headquarters to prove that what they said in Parliament about the expenditure on the building and equipment was right.

“Their audited report is unqualified. We are satisfied by that. We were doubting their report especially concerning the building,” he said , admitting that now they had enough details about the matter.

The MP called on the authority to ensure communication network reached everyone in the country.

For his part, TCRA Director General Prof. John Nkoma said the tour by the committee members aimed at learning how the authority operated.

Prof. Nkoma said the committee refused to accepted the 2010/11 financial after doubting some of the details contained in it.

“In fact we are happy for this committee to visit our office and see what we are doing,” he said.

Last year POAC accused TCRA of misuse of public funds, including its board chairman who was being paid USD 350 in air time per month, while other members got USD 200 in air time vouchers.