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Govt unhappy on how NGOs use donor funds
2006-05-15 09:12:46
By Pacifique Nkeshimana
The government has challenged NGOs operating in Tanzania to be transparent on how they use donor funds.
The transparency in income and expenditure on funds provided by international donor communities would be a defence to the allegations that most NGOs are embezzling the funds.
Peniel Lyimo, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives as well as many other participants in a two-day Public Expenditure Review/NSGRP Consultative Meeting organized by the Ministry of Finance on Saturday said NGOs are misusing public funds, thus urging them to be open on their expenditures.
Over 500 participants, including Regional Commissioners, members of parliament, researchers, policy makers, members of the press and civil society organizations attended the consultative meeting whose aim was to review the public expenditure and to monitor the implementation of the National Strategy for economic Growth and reduction of poverty (NSGRP).
’You are using the public funds… the money you receive from donors is not yours. You must inform the people on how you manage these funds. The people need to know how much you receive and how much you utilise in the development activities,’ the PS said.
He added: ’Today we are in a consultative meeting to review the public expenditure…this review is the arm to the MKUKUTA’s implementation. You should let people know how you are using the funds you receive from donors,’ Lyimo said, amid applause from the participants.
He said due to the tax exemption, the money NGOs receive is not theirs, stressing that it is public’s funds.
He said the role of NGOs in poverty reduction is very significant but following the prevailing allegations that there were people who misuse the funds granted by donors there is a for the NGOs to be accountable in their expenditures.
Mary Mwingira, the executive director of the confederation of Tanzania Non-governmental organization (TANGO) later told The Guardian that the NGOs under he umbrella organisation were transparent on their expenditures.
’I really fail to understand why the Permanent Secretary attacked us in the meeting… we are not hiding how we use the money provided by donors. We always send a reports to the NGOs directorate,’ she said.
She added: ’TANGO has about six hundred NGOs…I am sure that our reports on the way we utilize the funds is reported to the NGO directorate, which is the organ in-charge of going throgh reports.’
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