By E lukuba
Dodoma. Be warned, ministers and your teams: Parliament will not pass any budget that does not adequately address the people’s problems.
This is the message that was brought home to the minister of Water, Prof Jumanne Maghembe, after he was sent back to the drawing board to redraft the budget he tabled the previous day.
The Speaker of the National assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, announced the decision yesterday and urged the government to work together with the newly-created Budget Committee to work out how to raise funds to boost the plan.
The Speaker’s decision was inevitable as there were signs from yesterday that the budget would be rejected by emotional MPs, the majority of them having declared during debate that they did not support it on the grounds that the government had not set aside enough money for the water sector in the coming financial year.
Ms Makinda announced the withdrawal of the budget at 12.30 pm, half an hour before the end of the morning session, saying all signs were that the budget would not pass were it to go through the entire process.
From the start of the debate on Wednesday, the Speaker said, the majority of contributors had indicated that they were not in favour of the budget and it was only logical that the government consults with the budget committee to come up with alternatives acceptable to the lawmakers.
In the circumstances, she said, it was appropriate to use the Budget Committee to rescue the situation. Ms Makinda added, ahead of adjourning the Parliament session to Monday morning: “Therefore, I withdraw this budget so that the ministry, the Budget Committee and the sectoral committee meet and think of how they can raise more funds for this ministry and report back. We will conclude this debate on Monday.”
Signs of trouble started soon after Prof Maghembe tabled the budget. In a rejoinder, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Water suggested that the government looks for Sh184.5 billion more to boost the water budget for 2013/14.
The majority of MPs who debated it also supported the idea, arguing that they could not support the budget while majority of their people did not have safe and reliable water.
On Wednesday evening, Peter Serukamba (Kigoma Urban–CCM) raised a point of order urging that the government should think of deducting 15 percent from other charges so as to raise more than Sh600 billion to be used to top the water budget.
Well before the budget debate started yesterday morning, Iramba West MP Mr Mwigulu Nchemba (CCM) raised a point of order requesting the Speaker to halt debate on the budget in order to enable the Budget Committee and the government to resolve the issue of meagre resources.
Mr Nchemba noted that it was encouraging that Parliament had come up with a new budget cycle and the budget committee that would allow wider and extensive consultations between Parliament and the government on budgetary issues.
“Judging from what we have heard from yesterday,” he said, “I would like to ask your chair to halt this debate so that the government and the Budget Committee can think of how to raise more money.”
A similar proposal was floated earlier by the Leader of the Official Opposition, Mr Freeman Mbowe (Hai–Chadema), who said when addressing the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, that it was necessary to give water problems serious consideration and it would be appropriate to withdraw the budget and return to the drawing table.
Mr Mbowe said water problems had become chronic despite the nation boasting of the 2002 Water Policy and the 2009 Act.
“The government has failed to implement the policy and its accompanying law in its bid to solve water problems in the country,” he said. “We have failed to capitalise on rain water harvesting, which would have helped solve many problems.”
Mr Pinda noted that budgetary constraints were not confined to the water sector, but said the government would take into consideration suggestions floated by the lawmakers, especially a suggestion to redirect funds to water and other crucial areas. CCM legislators held a closed-door meeting afterwards.
Additional reporting by Bernard Lugongo in Dodoma
Friday, April 26, 2013
MPs shoot down water budget in fierce debate
Water Minister Jumanne Maghembe came under fire as MPs took his office to task for failing to alleviate chronic water shortages in Tanzania. PHOTO | FILE
By E lukuba
Dodoma. Be warned, ministers and your teams: Parliament will not pass any budget that does not adequately address the people’s problems.
This is the message that was brought home to the minister of Water, Prof Jumanne Maghembe, after he was sent back to the drawing board to redraft the budget he tabled the previous day.
The Speaker of the National assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, announced the decision yesterday and urged the government to work together with the newly-created Budget Committee to work out how to raise funds to boost the plan.
The Speaker’s decision was inevitable as there were signs from yesterday that the budget would be rejected by emotional MPs, the majority of them having declared during debate that they did not support it on the grounds that the government had not set aside enough money for the water sector in the coming financial year.
Ms Makinda announced the withdrawal of the budget at 12.30 pm, half an hour before the end of the morning session, saying all signs were that the budget would not pass were it to go through the entire process.
From the start of the debate on Wednesday, the Speaker said, the majority of contributors had indicated that they were not in favour of the budget and it was only logical that the government consults with the budget committee to come up with alternatives acceptable to the lawmakers.
In the circumstances, she said, it was appropriate to use the Budget Committee to rescue the situation. Ms Makinda added, ahead of adjourning the Parliament session to Monday morning: “Therefore, I withdraw this budget so that the ministry, the Budget Committee and the sectoral committee meet and think of how they can raise more funds for this ministry and report back. We will conclude this debate on Monday.”
Signs of trouble started soon after Prof Maghembe tabled the budget. In a rejoinder, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Water suggested that the government looks for Sh184.5 billion more to boost the water budget for 2013/14.
The majority of MPs who debated it also supported the idea, arguing that they could not support the budget while majority of their people did not have safe and reliable water.
On Wednesday evening, Peter Serukamba (Kigoma Urban–CCM) raised a point of order urging that the government should think of deducting 15 percent from other charges so as to raise more than Sh600 billion to be used to top the water budget.
Well before the budget debate started yesterday morning, Iramba West MP Mr Mwigulu Nchemba (CCM) raised a point of order requesting the Speaker to halt debate on the budget in order to enable the Budget Committee and the government to resolve the issue of meagre resources.
Mr Nchemba noted that it was encouraging that Parliament had come up with a new budget cycle and the budget committee that would allow wider and extensive consultations between Parliament and the government on budgetary issues.
“Judging from what we have heard from yesterday,” he said, “I would like to ask your chair to halt this debate so that the government and the Budget Committee can think of how to raise more money.”
A similar proposal was floated earlier by the Leader of the Official Opposition, Mr Freeman Mbowe (Hai–Chadema), who said when addressing the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, that it was necessary to give water problems serious consideration and it would be appropriate to withdraw the budget and return to the drawing table.
Mr Mbowe said water problems had become chronic despite the nation boasting of the 2002 Water Policy and the 2009 Act.
“The government has failed to implement the policy and its accompanying law in its bid to solve water problems in the country,” he said. “We have failed to capitalise on rain water harvesting, which would have helped solve many problems.”
Mr Pinda noted that budgetary constraints were not confined to the water sector, but said the government would take into consideration suggestions floated by the lawmakers, especially a suggestion to redirect funds to water and other crucial areas. CCM legislators held a closed-door meeting afterwards.
Additional reporting by Bernard Lugongo in Dodoma
By E lukuba
Dodoma. Be warned, ministers and your teams: Parliament will not pass any budget that does not adequately address the people’s problems.
This is the message that was brought home to the minister of Water, Prof Jumanne Maghembe, after he was sent back to the drawing board to redraft the budget he tabled the previous day.
The Speaker of the National assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, announced the decision yesterday and urged the government to work together with the newly-created Budget Committee to work out how to raise funds to boost the plan.
The Speaker’s decision was inevitable as there were signs from yesterday that the budget would be rejected by emotional MPs, the majority of them having declared during debate that they did not support it on the grounds that the government had not set aside enough money for the water sector in the coming financial year.
Ms Makinda announced the withdrawal of the budget at 12.30 pm, half an hour before the end of the morning session, saying all signs were that the budget would not pass were it to go through the entire process.
From the start of the debate on Wednesday, the Speaker said, the majority of contributors had indicated that they were not in favour of the budget and it was only logical that the government consults with the budget committee to come up with alternatives acceptable to the lawmakers.
In the circumstances, she said, it was appropriate to use the Budget Committee to rescue the situation. Ms Makinda added, ahead of adjourning the Parliament session to Monday morning: “Therefore, I withdraw this budget so that the ministry, the Budget Committee and the sectoral committee meet and think of how they can raise more funds for this ministry and report back. We will conclude this debate on Monday.”
Signs of trouble started soon after Prof Maghembe tabled the budget. In a rejoinder, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Water suggested that the government looks for Sh184.5 billion more to boost the water budget for 2013/14.
The majority of MPs who debated it also supported the idea, arguing that they could not support the budget while majority of their people did not have safe and reliable water.
On Wednesday evening, Peter Serukamba (Kigoma Urban–CCM) raised a point of order urging that the government should think of deducting 15 percent from other charges so as to raise more than Sh600 billion to be used to top the water budget.
Well before the budget debate started yesterday morning, Iramba West MP Mr Mwigulu Nchemba (CCM) raised a point of order requesting the Speaker to halt debate on the budget in order to enable the Budget Committee and the government to resolve the issue of meagre resources.
Mr Nchemba noted that it was encouraging that Parliament had come up with a new budget cycle and the budget committee that would allow wider and extensive consultations between Parliament and the government on budgetary issues.
“Judging from what we have heard from yesterday,” he said, “I would like to ask your chair to halt this debate so that the government and the Budget Committee can think of how to raise more money.”
A similar proposal was floated earlier by the Leader of the Official Opposition, Mr Freeman Mbowe (Hai–Chadema), who said when addressing the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, that it was necessary to give water problems serious consideration and it would be appropriate to withdraw the budget and return to the drawing table.
Mr Mbowe said water problems had become chronic despite the nation boasting of the 2002 Water Policy and the 2009 Act.
“The government has failed to implement the policy and its accompanying law in its bid to solve water problems in the country,” he said. “We have failed to capitalise on rain water harvesting, which would have helped solve many problems.”
Mr Pinda noted that budgetary constraints were not confined to the water sector, but said the government would take into consideration suggestions floated by the lawmakers, especially a suggestion to redirect funds to water and other crucial areas. CCM legislators held a closed-door meeting afterwards.
Additional reporting by Bernard Lugongo in Dodoma
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for visiting this blogs.