News From Parliament

PMO estimates sail through

The Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda.

Member s of Parliament in the august House meeting in Dodoma, on Friday evening approved the PMO budget estimates for 2012/13 financial year.

The Speaker of the House, Ms Anne Makinda administered the open vote by the MPs after the Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda had submitted his estimates to the House.

The MPs voted openly by raising their voices. The majority of the MPs through their pronouncement of “We agree” saw the budget sailing through. There were some minority voices which emerged but were defeated by the majority votes. However, besides the PM clarifying on a number of issues raised by the House, there was no adjustment of the estimates.

The Government has selected 13 publishers to supply books to all primary schools in Tanzania Mainland from the radar money amounting to 73.2bn/-. Winding up the PMO budget estimates yesterday evening, the Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, said the government had decided to use 75 per cent of the money for the books as per agreement between the governments of Tanzania and UK, BAE Systems and SFO.

Under the agreement, the remaining 25 per cent of the money should be used for purchase of desks. He said the basis of purchasing books lies on the fact that the ratio of book to pupil is 1:10 while the purchase will reduce the ratio to 1:2/3. Selected publishing companies are Ben Company, Best Deal Publisher, E & D Vision Education Books Publisher, Jadida, Long Horn, Longman, Macmillan, Mkuki na Nyota, Mture, Oxford, Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) and Ujuzi Book.

The books to be purchased will include teachers’ manuals and guidelines, teaching and learning books and will cover core subjects of Mathematics, Kiswahili, Science, English and Geography. According to Premier Pinda, the purchase of desks would reduce the acute shortage of desks in primary schools totalling between 1.5 million and two million desks. Available data indicate that almost half of eight million pupils in Primary Schools in the country are in need of desks.

“If desks will be available at good prices of 50,000/- per desk then we will be able to get 400,000 desks and consequently 1.2 million pupils will benefit”, said Mr Pinda. Responding to comments by several MPs that the money could have significant impact if used to build teachers’ houses, the Premier said the money could only build 6,000 teachers’ houses. “For the existing 16,000 primary schools, about 9,000 schools will still not benefit unlike books where all teachers and pupils will benefit”, he clarified.

Responding to calls by Zanzibar MPs that the radar money should also be used in Zanzibar, the Premier said that the money would be used in Tanzania Mainland because the purchase of the radar was done by communications sector under ministry of infrastructure which is not Union ministry.

On re-introduction or establishment of Kadhi Court, Mr Pinda revealed that the joint team (of government and Muslim clerics) had decided that the courts would be established outside judicial system. He further revealed that the team had agreed that the re-introduction or establishment of Kadhi courts would be financed and administered by Muslims themselves.

“We have also agreed that the courts will be established under Islamic Law (Reinstatement) Act, Cap 375 R.E. of 2002. “And that the courts will handle seven matters of; marriage and divorce, inheritance, wills, awards, installation, child upbringing and determination of Islamic conflicts,” he stated. Mr Pinda said the two parties had reached agreement that the courts should be re-introduced or established gradually, by starting in few areas.

“The two parties have also agreed that some members of the team should make study tours to India, UK, Kenya and Zanzibar to learn how the countries administer such courts. The tours will be made soon”, stressed the Premier. Mr Pinda reiterated government’s commitment in making sure that the courts would be established to serve the intended purposes.