2014/2015 BUDGET: Measures announced to contain extravagance

Finance minister Saada Mkuya presents the government’s 2014/15 budget in Parliament yesterday. In the background are Finance deputy ministers Mwigulu Nchemba (left) and Adam Malima.  PHOTO | EDWIN MJWAHUZI 

By  Veneranda Sumila,The Citizen Reporter

Posted  Friday, June 13  2014 at  08:40

In Summary

• CARELESS SPENDERS  TARGETED: In order to reduce electricity spending in public institutions, the government intends to employ energy saving technology sensors. The government also aims to bring together all public institution expenditures under one public finance control system under the government treasurer as a measure of controlling public expenditure.

Dar es Salaam. The government is to introduce tighter controls on public expenditure as it seeks to increase financial discipline among public officials amid dwindling revenue collections.

Finance Minister, Ms Salum Mkuya outlined a number of austerity measures to be implemented during the year. She said the government is preparing a Budget Bill that aims to tighten and cut public spending.

The Bill to be ready before the end of the year 2014/15 aims to increase discipline in expenditure and responsibility among all stakeholders who implements the government budget.

“There has been a problem in implementing different projects. So for the country to control and ensure that the value for money goes in tandem with investment in development projects the government has purchased equipment to evaluate the standards of all development projects,” said the Minister for Finance Saada Mkuya.

The evaluation will also help to ensure that the implemented projects meet the required standards.

Meanwhile new  assessment equipment obtained by the government will help to identify weak contractors  so that measures can be taken against shoddy ones.

To attain value for money in procurement, the government will now ventured into bulk purchase system for most of its supplies, including for regional authorities.

The state, will procure goods from manufacturers than purchasing them from agents. “We are planning to start the implementation of the bulky procurement system with the purchase of cars.” In order to reduce cars and plants fuel expenditure the government will introduce an electronic system that will be used in purchasing, storing, and selling cars and plants so as to obtain value for money when purchasing fuel.

For years Tanzanians have protested the government’s huge spending on luxurious high fuel consuming vehicles despite past promises to curtail deployment of expensive convoys of vehicles to public officials.

The public had wanted smaller and fuel efficient cars so as to save money.

“It is also advised that diaries and yearly calendars for all government offices will now be published by the PMO’s instead of every institution publishing its own,” she said.