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Clear up this mess in district councils
2006-03-03 09:31:52
By Editor
The manner in which some local government institutions, particularly the councils, conduct themselves when it comes to business deals with other public organizations or private firms, is very discouraging to say the least.
Many councils, either still conduct themselves with too much freedom, putting individual members’ interests before the cardinals of business ethics or just play sheer non-seriousness, even where there is a serious government deal involved.
This is often the case when the deal involved has more to do with money, and one can cite a number of cases to adduce this anomaly.
Last week it was revealed that only 16 out of 20 local government authorities, which received over 1bn/- in cumulative loan from the government for plots surveying and land compensation projects, have failed to reimburse their debts.
Revealing this gloomy picture, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Human Settlement Development, Salome Sijaona, said total reimbursement from the four councils amounted to between 200m/- and 300m/- only.
This means the remaining 16 councils still have 700m/- owed to them. What’s more, they are denying other councils, a golden opportunity to carry on, since the money was from the Plot Development Revolving Fund (PDRF) set up in the 2004/005 financial year.
The loan arrangement requires that once money is dished out, it should be repaid on time so that loan extension to other local authorities can be made.
Nevertheless, if this trend continues, the programme is likely to collapse, because it is not even known when the rest of the councils would repay the money.
Local government authorities transactions with other public institutions and private firms do not portray this as an isolated case. Available data support this argument.
In the 2003/04 financial year, about 90 per cent of all money dished out by the Ministry of Gender, Women Development and Children to councils in Mtwara and Lindi regions was not repaid.
The money, which was channeled through the Women Development Fund (WDF) was intended for use by women under the empowerment programme.
Since the women received the money in the form of loans, they were supposed to repay it back, so that their fellows in other councils could also access the facility.
The then minister, Dr Asha Rose Migiro, said she would investigate and come up with a better way of dealing with the councils for efficiency. This would have enabled more other women to enjoy the facility.
The question is, for how long shall the councils carry out their activities in such an unprofessional manner?
We believe that there is a way out.
However, this cannot just come along, without changing the structures and discipline those who hinder progress.
To the best of our knowledge, the Fourth Phase Government is currently undertaking some structural changes in a number of government institutions, with the aim of bettering services delivery and the functionaries.
We hope it will not spare this bulwark which hinders progress.
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