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Govt’s graft searchlight shifts to HIV/Aids NGOs
2006-02-16 09:55:04
By Guardian Reporter
The government has vowed to scrutinise the books of accounts of non-governmental organisations purporting to take care of HIV/Aids orphans in the country, President Jakaya Kikwete said yesterday.
The intention is to establish how the NGOs spend donors’ funds.
The President made the remarks at a special meeting with UN delegation led by Princess Mathilde of Belgium at State House.
The delegation was made up of United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Ann Veneman, UN-Aids Executive Director, Dr Peter Piot and United Nations Development Programme Tanzania Country Representative John Hendra.
President Kikwete said the government had reached the decision after realising that some HIV/Aids orphans’ NGOs spend donor funds on personal comforts instead of channelling to would-be beneficiaries.
He said there are over two million Aids orphans who are being taken care of by government and NGOs.
He said the government had come up with strategies to ensure that orphans do not miss basic services such as education and healthcare.
The President said the government could not afford to take care of the orphans alone, hence the co-option of NGOs.
He appealed to international organisations to support the government to take care of the orphans.
On the war against HIV/Aids, the President said the government had started distributing free anti-retroviral drugs to Aids patients, besides providing treatment and care to those living with HIV.
’Our biggest challenge is to sustain the programme and ensure that ARVs reach many patients,’ he said.
The President thanked UN agencies for their support to the country’s HIV/Aids programmes.
Princess Mathilde of Belgium praised President Kikwete for being gender-sensitive in the provision of education to the people.
She was particularly impressed by latest figures that show that 95 per cent of school-age children are attending school.
UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman and UN-Aids Executive Director pledged to assist the government to overcome the challenges pointed out by President Kikwete.
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