News From Parliament

Factories to be revived after study

Mr Gregory George Teu.

THE government plans to revive all factories that have failed to work, but a comprehensive study will have to be carried out before such revival is attempted. This was said in the National Assembly by the Deputy Minister for Industries and Trade, Mr Gregory George Teu.

Mr Teu was responding to a question floated in the House buy Mr Freeman Mbowe (Hai – Chadema), who wished to know how much the government was spending on maintaining Kilimanjaro Machine Tools Company which is no longer productive. He also wanted to know the value of the factory.

Mr Teu told the legislators that the government has so far spent 361,105,009/- for maintenance of the factory and the six workers who are taking care of the plant. When the factory was handed over to National Development Corporation (NDC) in 2008 the factory had eight workers.

At the moment the factory has machines worth 3,279,133,000/-;  buildings valued at 5,162,000,000/- and land worth 3,050,000,000/-. The total value of the company is 11,491,133,000/-. Mr Teu said that the government attaches a lot of importance to the industrial sector and other economic sectors.

He added that Machine Tools Company is properly maintained with timely repairs to its buildings and machines. Refurbishment of buildings is done in phases, said Mr Teu.  At the moment repairs to the Administration Block is over.

The second phase, which will be carried out when funds are availed, will involve repairs to the industrial buildings which house machines.  The deputy minister also said that all machines and other industrial tools are in good order.

In a supplementary question, the legislator for Rombo, Mr Joseph Roman Selasini (Chadema) wanted to know why the government was not taking over all defunct factories instead of waiting for investors. He also wanted to know why Machine Tools was not given to small-scale investors.

The deputy minister said that the company, whose premises cover 250 hectares, is likely to be turned into an industrial estate for small-scale factories.