Dar tourist arrivals grow to just over 1 million in 2016

TANZANIA’s tourist arrivals grew by 10.42 per cent to 1,020,816 between January and October last year, according to the latest United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) barometer. 
At global level, tourist arrivals grew by 3.9 per cent to reach more than a billion last year.
The UNWTO barometer shows that international arrivals from January to December last year reached 1.23 billion, 46 million more compared to 2015 figures. 
In Kenya, international tourist arrivals increased by 16.7 per cent to 877,602 compared to the previous year.
The report said that last year marked the seventh consecutive year of sustained growth following the 2009 global economic crisis. 
“Tourism has shown extraordinary strength and resilience in recent years despite many challenges, particularly those related to safety and security,’’ UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai said in a report.
“Yet international travel continues to grow strongly and contribute to job creation and the well-being of communities around the world,” Rifai added.
In Europe, international arrivals reached 620 million last year — 12 million more than in 2015 — while in the Americas arrivals rose by four per cent to 201 million, eight million more visitors compared to 2015.
In Africa, the arrivals jumped by eight per cent to 58 million tourists, while Asia and the Pacific had 301 million. 
The Middle East received 54 million global arrivals, a decrease of four per cent compared to 2015. UNWTO projects international arrivals worldwide to grow at 3 to 4 per cent this year.
According to statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), arrivals through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport jumped by 16.2 per cent to 782,013 last year, compared to 672,789 visitors in 2015. 
At Moi International Airport, arrivals grew by 22.2 per cent to 92,872 compared with 75,983 visitors in 2015. 
On the other hand, arrivals by cruise ships at Mombasa port declined by 17.7 per cent to 2,717, compared with 3,302 visitors in 2015.
In terms of share of arrivals during the period, the US emerged as Kenya’s top source tourists after overtaking the UK which for years has been the country’s leading market.

JPM receives six new diplomats

PRESIDENT John Magufuli yesterday received diplomatic credentials from six different resident ambassadors who will represent their countries in Tanzania
The ambassadors who presented their credentials at the State House in Dar es Salaam include Mohamed Ben Mansour Al Malek from the United Arab Emirates, Abdelilah Benryane of Morroco, Benson Keith Chali of Zambia, Lucas Domingo Hernandez Polledo of the Republic of Cuba, Mousa Farhang of Iran and Gervais Abayeho from Burundi.
President Magufuli welcomed the new ambassadors, assuring them of close cooperation and that Tanzania would continue to enhance economic cooperation with their countries for the benefit of all.
“I am aware that Saudi Arabia implements a number of construction projects in Tanzania. I would like to assure you that we will continue implementing such projects together,” he told Ambassador Mohamed Ben Mansour Al Malek.
“I am expecting Cubans to construct factories in Tanzania as we plan to stop importing medicines. The government spends a huge chunk of our foreign currency importing medicines from abroad,” The President told Ambassador Lucas Domingo Hernandez Polledo from Cuba.
The Ambassador of Morocco in the country, Abdelilah Benryane promised President Magufuli that his country would, apart from constructing a Mosque in Dodoma, also implement other projects.
Speaking to Zambian Ambassador, Benson Keith Chali the President said that his presence will speed up the process for improvement of the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) in order to enhance productivity.
President Magufuli assured the Ambassador of Burundi, Gervais Abayeho that Tanzania would continue to be a good friend to their country.
He said the bilateral relationship between the two countries would be cemented as Tanzania continues to be part of the conflict resolution committee through former President, Benjamin Mkapa.
The Ambassadors congratulated President Magufuli for his austerity measures in shaping the country’s economy, fight corruption, abuse of office and ensuring ethics amongst public servants.

Discovery of natural gas lowers power production,consumer costs

THE discovery of natural gas in the country has led to a decline of electricity prices by 33.26 per cent since 2014 to 2016, Deputy Minister of Energy and Minerals Dr Medard Kalemani has revealed. 
Dr Kalemani made the remarks yesterday in Parliament in Dodoma when responding to a question from Special Seat MP Maida Hamad Abdallah who wanted to know the benefits obtained from the discovery natural gas in the country.
“The biggest advantage which the country has gained from the discovery and use of natural gas in electricity production is that it has made the production cheaper compared to fuel. 
Electricity production using natural gas increased from 2,714.25 million units in 2014 to 4196.4 million units in 2016, an increase of 54.61 per cent,” explained Dr Kalemani.
The deputy minister explained further that the discovery of natural gas has seen electricity production cost going down from an average of 188.56/- per unit in 2014 to an average of 125.85/- per unit in 2016.
Detailing more on the benefits gained from the use of natural gas, Energy and Minerals Minister Prof Sospeter Muhongo said some households in Mikocheni in Dar es Salaam Region , including the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) have seen their monthly spending on natural gas for cooking not exceeding 25,000/- 
According to him, until now a total of 37 industries are using energy derived from natural gas, which is cost-effective compared with the cost of other sources of energy.
In addition, he said that his ministry has received funding of USD150 million(over Sh330 billion) from African Development Bank (AfDB) for supplying the gas in regions of Dar es Salaam, Mtwara and Lindi.
Prof Muhongo said that soon after the supply commences, pipes will be laid in Kinyerezi suburb ready to supply the gas in the city and other regions such as Morogoro, Mbeya and Iringa.
He assured the public that the gas which is being used now is more safe and do not explode like the previous ones.
TPDC began to study to explore oil and natural gas in early 1950, involving research in areas of the deep sea, lakes and land. Natural gas discovered in the deep sea is 47.08TCF and in land are 10.17 TCF. The total initial gas in place now stands at 57.25 TCF.

Tulia: The legislators also called for a proper official research to find out the real facts about the famous

The legislators also called for a proper official research to find out the real facts about the famous 1905-1907 rebellion and whether it was indeed led by Chief Kinjekitile Ngwale, as has been frequently reported.

They said it was important to start the legal proceedings against German authorities as soon as possible in order to ensure that Tanzania’s former colonial master pays befitting compensation like what happened with similar rebellion wars in other parts of Africa.

Inter Burundi Dialogue scheduled for next week

FORMER President Benjamin William Mkapa, in his capacity as the Facilitator of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue has announced the commencement of the formal dialogue after completion of the consultative talks. 
The session is schedule for 16th – 18th February 2017, at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC). 
The convening of the session follows rigorous consultations the Facilitator made with various stakeholders within and outside Burundi, after which he identified an Eight-point Agenda raised by all stakeholders and agreed to be the main sticking points which he reported to the Summit in September 2016.
This Eight-point Agenda, which will form the thrust of the dialogue and subsequent negations, in no particular order of importance, includes: Security and commitment to end all forms of violence; Commitment to the Rule of Law and an end to impunity; Status of the implementation of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement; Strengthening of Democratic Culture and Opening up of Political Space; Social and Humanitarian Issues.
Others are, Implementation of the EAC Summit Decision of July 6th, 2015 on the Formation of the Government of National Unity; Impact of the Crisis on the Economy; and the Relationship between Burundi, its Neighbours and other International Partners.
In this initial phase of the dialogue which is by and large a political process, the Facilitator will invite some of the political parties and important political actors to whom he will introduce the unpacked Eight-point Agenda to determine areas of convergence and divergence.
Other stakeholders like the civil society organisations, religious groups, as well as women and youth will be invited in later sessions for a similar purpose.
It is the expectation of the Facilitator that, in the initial dialogue, inputs from participant will draw up an outline of the would-be agreement to be continuously refined until when it fully agreed upon by all stakeholders and can be signed as a final agreement hopefully in June, 2017 as he envisaged.

MPs: Germany must be made to pay Majimaji war damages

MEMBERS of parliament sitting in Dodoma yesterday tasked the government to file a legal suit against the Federal Republic of Germany in pursuit of compensation for more than 30,000 people who were killed during the Majimaji war in southern Tanzania more than a century ago 
The legislators also called for a proper official research to find out the real facts about the famous 1905-1907 rebellion and whether it was indeed led by Chief Kinjekitile Ngwale, as has been frequently reported.
They said it was important to start the legal proceedings against German authorities as soon as possible in order to ensure that Tanzania’s former colonial master pays befitting compensation like what happened with similar rebellion wars in other parts of Africa.
The MP for Kilwa North, Vedasto Ngombale (CUF), noted that Kenya for example has managed to secure adequate compensation for victims of the 1952-1960 Mau Mau uprising, which was basically a revolt against British rule. 
The British government in June 2013 agreed to compensate more than 5,000 Kenyans said to have been tortured and abused by colonial army soldiers during the insurgency. Ngombale queried whether the government was ready to press German authorities to do likewise for the sake of Majimaji war victims.
Kigoma Urban MP Zitto Kabwe (ACT-Wazalendo) wondered why the government itself hasn’t ever properly acknowledged Majimaji heroes and victims, including those whose farms were destroyed by German soldiers in the Mahenge-Morogoro area.
“Even the Namibian government paid compensation to its people who were killed by Germans at Nama-Herero...how about us?” Zitto said.
Special Seats MP Riziki Said Lulida (CUF) queried whether the government was prepared to make correction to the official history version of the Majimaji war after the research findings, since it is widely believed that the rebellion began at Nandele-Kipatimo, Kilwa Kivinje and not Songea in Ruvuma Region.
In his response, Defence and National Service Minister Hussein Mwinyi said the ministry will consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation to see how such litigation against Germany as a country can be initiated.
According to Mwinyi, a proper investigation and research will be conducted to first determine which Majimaji victims’ families deserve to be compensated, and delegations will be sent to Kenya and Namibia to draw lessons on how the compensation exercises were done there.
“We will learn from the Mau Mau experience…inquiries will also be made in Mahenge to see the possibilities of paying the said victims,” the minister when responding to the MPs’ queries.
On the matter of where exactly the Majimaji rebellion began, Mwinyi said that will depend on the research findings. 
The war was reportedly triggered by a German colonial policy designed to force the indigenous population to grow cotton for export. 
According to reports, each village was charged with producing a quota of cotton, and the village headmen were put in charge of overseeing the production, which set them against the rest of the population.
A drought that threatened the region provided the spark that triggered open rebellion against the Germans in July 1905. The insurgents are said to have turned to magic to drive out the German colonisers and used it as a unifying force in the rebellion. 
Supposed rebellion leader Kinjekitile Ngwale, also known as Bokero, developed a belief that the local people had been called upon to eliminate the Germans.
According to German anthropologists, he gave his followers war medicine that would turn German bullets into water. This 'medicine' was in fact water mixed with castor oil and millet seeds. Hence the name 'Majimaji war' was born.

PM tells envoys to lead the way in wooing foreign investment

AMBASSADORS representing Tanzania abroad have been tasked to seek investors in the manufacturing sector so as to help the country attain its industrialisation dream. 
According to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, the government’s plan is to lay a foundation for an industrial-based national economy, with the role of envoys being to identify foreign funding sources for purposes of implementation.
Majaliwa made the remarks yesterday when he held talks with several ambassadors who are set to take up representative positions in various countries.
They are Dr Emanuel Nchimbi who has been assigned to Brazil, Elizabeth Kiondo (Turkey), George Madafa (Italy), James Msekela (Switzerland), Samuel Shelukindo (France), Paul Mella (DRC), and Mbelwa Kairuki (China).
The PM told the envoys: “The government needs people to come and invest in industries that add value to our products before they are sold outside the country, and your task now is to ensure we get the best investors.”
He also called on them to ensure they sell Tanzania and its attractions so that more tourists visit the country.
Speaking on behalf of the other envoys, ambassador Mella said they will represent the country as directed and entrusted by the president.
The PM’s call echoes that of the local private sector which also recently pointed out that the country’s envoys in foreign countries have a key catalyst role to play for the government’s industrialisation dream to come true.
At a meeting with the newly appointed ambassadors last week, the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) called on them to help solicit trade opportunities especially in the areas of agriculture, technology and development of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).
TPSF officials said the envoys should seek to capitalise on economic diplomacy, and work on the premise that an industrialised economy cannot be built by the government alone without close collaboration with the private sector which is key to mobilizing resources.

Makonda He urged the leaders of the two districts to meet immediately

The upcountry station of the buses plying to the southern regions of Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma is currently located at Mbagala, Temeke District in Dar es Salaam Region. The PM wants it be shifted to Mkurganga District in Coast Region.

He urged the leaders of the two districts to meet immediately and see how they were going to implement the order.
The PM made the remarks yesterday in Dar es Salaam when he met with the officials to discuss on the resolutions to reduce overcrowding at the bus station.
According to him, there was no way to solve the congestion than shifting the bus stand to Mkuranga.

Eight ordered to register bonds worth 10m/- each, five others hit for 20m/- each, in order to secure their release on probation

THE Kisutu resident magistrate’s court yesterday ordered 13 people including local entertainment celebrities, accused of drug-related offences, to execute bonds worth a total of 180 million/- to secure their release on probation. 
Eight of the accused were told by presiding resident magistrate Huruma Shaidi to register bonds worth 10m/- each without surety, while in a separate case led by magistrate Cyprian Mkena, five other accused were ordered to produce bonds worth 20m/- each, under the condition of one surety (each).
The accused were arraigned in court yesterday after being held in police custody for several days on the orders of Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda.
RC Makonda last week named several prominent local music and movie figures, along with at least a dozen senior police officers, and linked them to alleged involvement in illicit drug-dealing as part of a fresh, apparently all-encompassing crackdown on the city’s narcotics trade.
But there was still no word on the real kingpins behind the apparently booming trade. 
Among the eight accused who were yesterday ordered to execute 10m/- bonds each without surety was leading Bongo Flava music artiste Khalid Salum, alias TID. Others were Hamidu Chambuso (Dogo Hamidu), Rajabu Salum, Romeo George, Cedou Madugo, Johance Johannes, Rachel Josephat and Anna Patric Kimario.
The prosecution had submitted a request from the head of the Task Force Unit Dar es Salaam Zone, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dennis Mujumba, for the accused to be kept under probation for at least three years under section 73 (e) of the Criminal Procedures Act.
According to ASP Mujumba’s submission, the police had evidence in the form of ‘information’ that the accused were using drugs and could destroy the entire society if no action is taken against them.
The defence team led by advocate Albert Msando challenged what he described as ASP Mujumba’s ‘blanket’ statement of evidence, saying it didn’t specify when the ‘information’ was obtained and from where.
Msando also pointed out that the prosecution affidavit did not specify who among the accused was engaged in which type of drug use, and furthermore challenged the cited section of the law as being irrelevant to the case at hand because it talks about ‘breach of peace’, not drug use.
“How can someone breach the peace by using drugs?... it is obvious that the section is not clear in relation to drug-related cases,” said the lead defence counsel.
Magistrate Shaidi chose to reduce the probation period from three years to one year, and also ordered the prosecution to seek out further proof of the accused’s engagement in drug use. 
In the other related case, however, magistrate Mkena accepted the prosecution’s request that the five accused should not only execute bonds for 20m/- each (double that of the first group), but also produce at least one surety each and be under probation for three years instead of one.
The five are Ahmed Hashi (Petitman), Said Linnah, Nassoro Nassoro, Bakar Khelef, and Lulu Chelangwe (Lulu). The tougher court ruling on them came after the defence side had failed to challenge the prosecution’s request.
Apart from being kept under probation for three years, they will also have to report to a local police station twice a month, while the court ordered the police to keep them under tight surveillance during their probation period, whereby if they don’t change their behaviour, they will be brought back to court.
There was no immediate word on the fate of the likes of former Miss Tanzania pageant winner and Bongo movie actress Wema Sepetu and upcoming Bongo Flava songstress Vanessa Mdee, who were also last week summoned by RC Makonda to voluntarily report to the Central Police Station for further questioning on their alleged links to the narcotics trade.
The Makonda-led crackdown on narcotics dealing in Dar es Salaam has been openly supported by President John Magufuli himself, who on Monday ordered security organs and law enforcers to ensure no suspects are spared on the basis of public status or popularity.

Tanzania in need of $46 billion in power investment by 2040

AT LEAST $46.2 billion in power investment is required over the next 20 years to revamp Tanzania’s aging energy infrastructure and meet soaring demand for electricity in east Africa's second biggest economy. 
Investors have long complained that a lack of reliable power is one of the obstacles of doing business in the country.
A power system master plan released on Monday by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals said 70 per cent of capital expenditures would be financed by debt and the rest by the government's own resources.
"Currently, power supply in Tanzania cannot meet the demand. Such imbalance has to be solved as soon as possible," said the government's updated power blueprint.
"The power demand growth rates for industrial and commercial sectors are expected to reach 18 per cent per year from 2015 to 2020," it added.
Tanzania aims to boost power generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts over the next decade from around 1,500MW at present, by using some of its vast natural gas and coal reserves to end chronic energy shortages and boost industrial growth.
The government announced last year it had discovered an additional 2.17 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of possible natural gas deposits in an onshore field, raising its total estimated recoverable natural gas reserves to more than 57 tcf.
The power system master plan says around 40 per cent of the estimated national population of 50 million currently has access to electricity, but the government wants to boost the electrification rate to 90 per cent by 2035.
The government said in January it was seeking a loan of $200 million from the World Bank for the debt-ridden Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) after President Magufuli refused to allow the state-run utility to hike tariff prices to cover costs.
Although Magufuli has said he wants cheap electricity to drive industrialisation, the World Bank is likely to insist the loss-making utility increases prices so it can cover the cost of producing power and begin much-needed reforms.
TANESCO has debts of $363 million, up from $250 million at the end of 2015.
The Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) on December 31 approved a tariff hike of 8.53 percent, less than half of what the utility said it needed to cover the losses.
But the next day, Magufuli blocked the tariff increase and sacked TANESCO’S chief executive officer, saying the price hike would stymie his plans to ramp up industrial output.
Decades of mismanagement and political meddling means TANESCO sells electricity below cost. It also struggles to cope with transmission leaks and power theft.

Maize, sorghum production to decline in Eastern Africa

MAIZE and sorghum supply is expected to be limited in Eastern Africa in 2017 as a result of below average harvests across most countries despite above average sorghum harvest in Sudan, and average maize and sorghum harvest in Ethiopia 
East Africa Cross border Trade report issued by Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) that was made available to The Guardian indicated that maize prices in USD are expected to be higher than 2016 and 2012-2016 average prices in most markets.
However, sorghum prices will probably be lower than 2016 and 2012-2016 prices in Ethiopia and Sudan reflecting a faster rate of decline of grain prices than the rate of depreciation of the local currency against USD. 
It indicate that the first and second quarters of 2017 (January-to-March) will likely experience seasonable but atypically faster rising maize and sorghum prices across most markets in many countries due to considerable tightening of supplies, exacerbated by planned or impromptu, verbal or documented decrees by governments banning exports; traders obtaining and holding grains, with the intention to sell to customers on a high profit in the future as prices rise. 
The exception would be Sudan and Ethiopia where prices are expected to decline seasonably through April.
In Sudan, the prices of sorghum and millet are expected to continue declining seasonably through March as a result of increasing supplies from the above average November-to-January harvest, and will most likely fall below 2016 price and recent five year average prices in USD, but in local currencies the prices will likely be above the fiver year average mostly due to high inflation which by December was 30.47 on an annual basis.
Sorghum exports to northern South Sudan is expected to increase seasonably and be higher than last year but still below the recent five year average, attributable to insecurity -related trade disruptions.
In northern Tanzania, including Bukoba, Musoma and Arusha, maize prices are already significantly higher than last year and recent five year average prices and are expected to continue increasing through April instead of declining seasonably between February and March because of significantly below average January-to-February (Vuli) harvest. 
Prices are then expected to start declining seasonably but atypically steadily from May (June for Dar es Salaam) as a result of increasing supply from the May-to-August (Msimu), and imminent start of the July-to-September (Masika) harvest which by January 2017 are expected to be below average. 
In the central and southern regions of Tanzania, the prices are expected to continue increasing seasonably but atypically faster through April as supplies tighten rapidly, then decline seasonably but gradually following the start of the Masika harvest.

MPs to Zimbabwe minister: Be smart like Magufuli

ZIMBABWEAN members of parliament (MPs) have reportedly attacked Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, labelling him as "unsmart" for "constantly "squeezing already impoverished citizens for revenue". 
According to New Zimbabwe, the MPs joined voices across the political divide, urging Chinamasa to prove his financial astuteness by creating alternative sources of revenues that bring relief to citizens.
This came as reports on Friday said that Chinamasa had accused black businesses of refusing to pay taxes and yet "expect government to provide them with public services".
Chinamasa said this, as he challenged the MPs to offer constructive suggestions to help the government increase its revenue inflows.
"If you do not want to be taxed, please do not shout and expect better service delivery. Our people in the informal sector do not want to be taxed. When a black person takes over a business, they do not want to pay taxes," Chinamasa was cited as saying.
But the MPs hit back at him, with the Norton MP Temba Mliswa saying piecemeal approaches would not give government the financial liberties it needed.
"People are suffering; we are being insensitive to their plight by not providing solutions. Government has a tendency or working up to introduce a tax, you must ask yourself where the money is coming from if you are failing to do it yourself," Mliswa was quoted as saying.
The government reportedly introduced a 15 per cent value added tax (VAT) on meat recently.
The MPs said government officials needed to trim their lifestyle budget and "redirect the funds to social services like what Tanzanian President John Magufuli has done".

Shocking Revelations About Eunice Njeri’s Wedding Day Activities And Exit From America, The Pastor Speaks Out

This issue of Eunice Njeri walking out of her marriage a day after she walked down the aisle is getting interesting by the day. Our source in Texas tells us that Eunice Njeri and Izzo were shopping around for a pastor to unite them in holy matrimony after the one they wanted turned them down. This forced the celebrity couple to cosy up to Pastor Jackson Kingori of Neema Gospel Church in Texas. Our source adds that the pastor is distraught over the turn of events and confirms that indeed, Eunice Njeri did not sign the marriage certificate. Eunice may have blindsided Izzo by not signing the certificate and later that evening boarding a flight back to Nairobi. To cap all this up, Eunice actually serenaded Izzo with a song during the wedding ceremony. Our source adds that Izzo had no idea that Eunice did not want to start a life with him. He moved houses from where he was staying a bigger apartment in preparation of having her join him. Eunice announced the annulment of her marriage recently saying nothing was ever signed and she had to call off the relationship because her heart was elsewhere.

WHAT IS???? Eunice Njeri Shares Pregnancy Post After Deleting The ‘Annulment’ Instagram Post

Eunice Njeri has shared a very revealing post on her social media. The post is penned by a woman who is narrating her account of losing a baby. This post comes after Eunice Njeri dropped a bombshell on her fans, family and hubby that the marriage is no more. The instagram post has since been deleted and Eunice is staying mum about the entire issue. Anyhow, Eunice shared a sad story penned by Natalie Stodolka about how she lost her child with hubby Adam. She writes, “Last year, on this day, Adam and I were in the midst of experiencing weakness in all ways. We had received news 11 days earlier on January 15/16 that the little one growing in my womb was without a heartbeat. We had been waiting so long to have a baby, and it was over so soon.” Eunice seems to have related to this blogpost that was titled “Mercy”.

SUPERSTARDOM KANDO! Police Raid Diamond Platnumz House Days After He Is Named As One Of The Celebrities Suspected To Be In The Drug Trade

Diamond Platmumz is not above the law. Tanzanian police raided his home during his mum birthday party a few nights back. Armed policemen raided the singer’s home in Mivumoni Madale during his mother, Sanura Kassim’s birthday Tanzanian news sources report that the bongo music mega star who was named by the police as one of the personalities suspected to be involved in the drug business, is known for throwing loud parties with no regard for his neighbours complaints. Here is an official communique from the government to the media naming Diamond and his ex-girlfriend Wema Sepetu as suspected drug traffickers. The communication demands that they present themselves to the police station for questioning about the matter.

Govt withdraws medical profession bill to seek further consultations

THE government yesterday withdrew the Medical, Dental and Allied Health Professionals Bill, 2016, to allow further consultations on the law that observers say would bring positive changes to health sector practitioners. 
The bill that was scheduled to be tabled for third reading in the National Assembly yesterday morning and thereafter debated by legislators was withdrawn in ‘good faith’, according to the Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and Children, Ummy Mwalimu.
She said almost all stakeholders including health sector practitioners and the parliamentary committee on social development had agreed that the bill is an important step towards regulation of the health sector.
“The government has decided to withdraw the bill after some practitioners complained that they were not consulted and that they want some sections to be amended,” she told reporters outside Bunge.
The minister added: “Given that the government heeds advice from different people and is ready to listen to everyone, we saw it is wise to give it more time for deliberations.”
The act aims at transforming performance of health professionals like clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, clinical officers, assistant clinical officers, assistant medical officers and any other allied health professionals.
The bill which went through the first reading in Parliament in November last year if it becomes a law will see establishment of an independent medical council headed by a health professional.
The current council is under the chairmanship of government chief medical officer, causing displeasure among health practitioners who argue that as a government official, he or she cannot freely serve the interests of doctors.
She said the law will also state who is supposed to use the title of doctor, noting that at the moment even laboratory technicians, clinical officers, among others, abuse the title.
Mwalimu said that such anomalies are what some stakeholders want to be addressed; especially where and when assistant medical officers want to be regarded as doctors while the bill states that only those with at least an undergraduate degree would be allowed to use that title.
“The act is to help bring transformation among health practitioners since the current law is outdated and has left out several practitioners like specialised clinic owners, among others,” said the minister.
She added that the new law will uphold high level of professionalism, citing punishments for violation of the law and deregistration of unworthy practitioners.
The minister also noted that the increasing number of health practitioners calls for reviewed law to match the developments in the sector.
She said for instance in early 2000s the country was producing only 79 doctors per year while in 2014 it produced 742 doctors and over 1,000 doctors in 2015/16.
The country trained at least 143 assistant medical officers in the 2000s, a number that has grown to 183 per year. She also noted that there were 300 clinical officers then and 495 currently.
“Now we are talking about the law that will help guide over 5,000 doctors and about 2,899 assistant medical officers and 6,170 clinical officers in the country,” she added.
Giving his opinion, Kigamboni Member of Parliament, Fasutine Ndugulile said the envisioned law will help streamline the health sector, saying there are a lot of challenges that needs to be ironed out.

Stigma against PwDs too high in Biharamulo as NGOs fight it

DISABILITY is not inability’. This is a brainy quote that normally encourages a person with any form of disability to understand that such human condition does not make him/her unable to reach their goals in life. 
But the quote also tries to change the perception of other people without disabilities to seepersons with disabilities as individuals who can achieve goals in life just like other people.
Former United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in 2013 in one of the meetings said; “Disability is part of the human condition; almost everyone will be temporarily or permanently impaired at some point in life.”
According to former UN secretary general, there were more than a billion people with disabilities around the world – that was around 15 per cent of the population of the planet by then.
Figures on the number of people with disability in Tanzania are currently not clear due to the fact that the 2012 Population and Housing Census (PHC) did not obtain data on the prevalence of disability in the country. However, until mid-2010 Tanzania was estimated to have 3.7 million people with disability.
It would be recalled that the 2012 census showed that Tanzania had a total population of 44, 928,923 of which 43, 625,354 were in Tanzania Mainland and 1,303,569 in Zanzibar. The male population constituted 21,869,990 and the female population 23, 058,933. 
Thought figures of people with disability in the country are important, the most important thing is the rights and responsibilities of this group given the appalling level of stigmatisation within certain communities in the country. 
In Biharamulo District, Kagera Region, a non-governmental organisation called ‘The Registered Trustee of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rulenge-Ngara’ under the financial support of The Foundation for Civil Society has volunteered to sensitise people with disabilities, decision makers and government executives on the rights and responsibilities of the marginalised group. 
The decision by the Trustee to carry out such a noble task emanated from the fact that stigmatisation against people with disabilities in the district is rampant to the extent that individuals are called by their form of disability and not their proper names.
The sensitisation work was not that much easier as the Trustee was forced to carry out as baseline survey to identify all people with disabilities in the whole district of Biharamulo before groups of stakeholders were gathered for the sensitisation seminars.
The district consists of 17 wards with 79 villages but the sensitisation work has so far been carried out in nine wards in the first quarter of project implementation period.
Father HonoratusNdaulla, Project Coordinator of the Trustee told the Guardian that politicians including the chairman of Biharamulo District, the legislator, district executive director and councilors attended the sensitisation workshops organized by the Trustee.
According to Fr Ndaulla, it was necessary to involve politicians and government executives in the seminar simply because they are the ones charged with the responsibility of serving them in their areas of administration and service.
He said in their survey they observed a discriminative, inconsiderate and non-caring attitude of the community members towards people with disabilities, prompting the Trustee to intervene in an effort to reverse the trend.
Giving an example Ndaulla observed that people with physical disability in Biharamulo District were not considered by the local and central governments in its infrastructures such as buildings.
“Go to the courts, hospitals, schools, police stations and other government building. People with physical disabilities encounter serious trouble in accessing them,” he said.
He added: ‘Government officials have the responsibility of ensuring that people with disability get fair and sometimes special treatment in service delivery and that’s what we also tell them when we meet in workshops that we organise’.
Testimony from people with disability
Paul Makene,a person with physical disability, spoke of the benefits of the project carried out by the Trustee , saying for years disabled people in Biharamulo had their own grievances that required attention of district leaders but always failed to secure the platform to make their voices heard. 
He said meeting district executive director, members from the office of district commissioner, the legislator and councilors availed them an opportunity to present their cases. Giving an example Makene said: “some government buildings in Biharamulo District are not ‘user-friendly’ to the people with physical disability like me but today we are happy because efforts are underway to rectify such anomalies.”
Makene, who once attempted to vie for a post of a local government leader, said his opponents capitalised on his disability by waging campaign that targeted to create a picture to voters that disabled people cannot deliver( disability is inability). 
According to Makene, it is a normal practice for parents with children with disability to hide them from public eyes, insisting that the project currently being implemented works to reverse such a bad trend.
“When leaders of the Trustee invited us to the seminar I met a lot of people with various forms of disability I had never seen before, an indication that there are a lot of people with such human conditions around Biharamulo but they are hid from public eyes either by their parents or guardians,” he pointed out.
Makene said some school-aged children with disability are not attending schools as they are not taken out for registration by their parents and guardians. “The fight for our rights is far from over,” he insisted.
Salum Mkombachepa, also person with physical disability thanked the Trustee and the Foundation for Civil Society for volunteering to fights for their rights. “The seminars conducted have opened my eyes with regard to my rights and my responsibilities as well as the responsibilities of decision makers towards us as disabled people.” he says. 
He said the fact that political and government leaders were and are still being involved in the seminars more will be achieved. “Some of us were not aware of our rights and responsibilities. Now the situation is quite different,” she added.
Jonia John, a woman with physical disability appeared to be moved after she was picked by the Trustee for the sensitisation seminars. “I can confidently state that this project is of great importance to People With Disability ( PWDs).
According to Jonia, the sensitisation seminars have enabled her to cultivate an attitude of self-confidence. “I can go anywhere and do everything on my own because I fully know my rights and responsibilities,” she stressed in confidence.

Flavour & Diamond Platnumz Set To Perform At AFCON 2017 Opening Ceremony

Nigerian award winning highlife singer, Flavour alongside Tanzania’s finest singer, Diamond Platnumz are set to perform at the opening ceremony of 2017 African Cup of Nations in Gabon. The tournament kicks off on Saturday, January 14, 2016, the pair who had performed at the just concluded Glo-CAF Award 2016 in Abuja, will be thrilling the African football teams and fans at the opening ceremony of AFCON 2017. After the opening ceremony, the host nation, Gabon will be taking Guinea–Bissau after which Cameroun will also face Burkina Faso at the 40,000 seater friendship stadium in Libreville.

MP questions exorbitant TANESCO connection charges

A MEMBER of Parliament yesterday questioned why the Tanzania National Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) charges high costs for connection fees, calling for immediate review of costs. 
Led by Manyoni MP, Daniel Mtuka (CCM), the lawmakers argued that the state-owned utility company imposes high charges that most Tanzanians cannot afford.
In his question during the question and answer sessions, the legislator argued: “It is absurd that Tanesco charge 177,000/- while the Rural Energy Agency (REA) charges 27,000/- for the same services.”
He argued that majority of the Tanzanian population need electricity but are taken aback by high costs of service lines which is six times that charged by REA.
The MP said that customers also face another burden in connecting to the power line as one pole costs 337,740/-. "These poles are property of Tanesco, why has this burden not taken by the government?"
Dr Medard Kalemanim, Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, responded by telling the house that Tanesco incurs costs for infrastructure including poles and other equipment to supply electricity to customers.
He also said that due to financial constraints, it is not easy for the firm to supply electricity to all areas.
However, the Electricity Act Regulations, 2011 stipulates that customers putting up infrastructure should have an agreement with Tanesco on how to be refunded once other customers are connected using the same infrastructure.
The deputy minister noted: "In areas where there are infrastructures, people only pay for poles and other equipment as charges for them to be connected."
"The government finances REA projects by 100 percent. The 27,000/- charged is a value added tax being imposed to encourage and enable people in rural areas with limited means to get the energy," he said.
He said after REA project, customers will be connected under Tanesco's guidelines which require them to pay 177,000/- to a distance that does not need a pole.

State assures House on good progress of construction of teachers’ hous

THE government yesterday informed the Parliament that the ongoing construction of teachers’ houses countrywide is in good progress. 
Deputy Minister in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government-RALG), Selemani Jafo, said the construction of the houses was part of the government’s plan to improve schools’ infrastructures through its own funds and help from the public and development partners.
His statement was in response to query by Special Seats MP Juliana Shonza (CCM) who sought to know government’s plans to improve school infrastructures in rural arears, including houses for teachers and paying their arrears.
Jafo noted that in the 2016/17 fiscal year, the government has set aside 13.9bn/- for building 1,157 houses for primary school teachers and 11.14bn/- for constructing 661 houses for secondary school teachers.
He noted during implementation of MMESII, 146 houses out of the planned 183 were constructed at the cost of 21.9bn/-. Each house will accommodate six teachers.
The other 37 houses to cost 5.5bn/- are still under construction and they are expected to be completed in April this year.
On teachers’ arrears, he said that the government is continuing with procedures to pay teachers after the exercise to verify the debt was completed in October last year.
In October 2015, the government paid 20.12bn/- to 44,700 teachers and in February last year 1.1bn/- was paid to 3,221 teachers.
The remaining arrears amount to 26.04bn/- that the government owes to 37,620 teachers who are still working and 2,134 who are retired.