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.