JKT economic wing on self-reliance directive

 

PRESIDENT John Magufuli yesterday directed the National Service Corporation, SUMA-JKT, to boost food production in order to feed the national service trainees and supply to areas with food shortage.

“It is high time you started producing sufficient food for your recruits and shelve the burden on government to feed them ... you can also supply the additional food to areas with shortage,” Dr Magufuli remarked in Dar es Salaam during his meeting with National Service Commander, Major General Michael Isamuhyo. 

 

The president further challenged military department to improve the economic activities stipulated in the establishment of the national service.

“You should as well embark on construction of dams to support irrigation farming in areas suitable for the farming technique,” a statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communications quoted Dr Magufuli as directing. Earlier, Maj. Gen.

Isamuhyo briefed the president on fish farming using cages in the Indian Ocean after the successes registered through the scheme in inland lakes and rivers.

The National Service Head informed the president that fish farming in cages had registered considerable successes in various areas, including Lake Victoria, noting that plans were underway to introduce the technology in the Indian Ocean.

He assured the head of state that all the directives will be taken and implemented, alongside the execution of other activities stipulated in the National Service formation in 1963, including construction of affordable houses.

During the current financial year, the Ministry of Defence and National Service has been allocated a total of 1.736trl/- for recurrent and development expenditures.

Presenting the budget estimates in Dodoma in May, this year, Defence and National Service Minister, Mr Hussein Mwinyi, however, decried meagre resource allocation that was impeding implementation of development projects.

Dr Mwinyi had told the Parliament that the situation was worse for some entities, including the National Service, which had not received a single cent for development activities as of March, 2016.

According to the budgetary allocation for 2015/2016, the National Assembly approved more than 1.679trn/- for the ministry, out of which 232bn/- was for development activities.

However, as of March, this year, the ministry had received only 444bn/- for recurrent expenditure and 42bn/-, equal to 18 per cent of the development allocation.

“The unsatisfactory disbursement of funds is reflected on insufficient undertaking of the ministry in implementation of its plans for 2015/16,” Dr Mwinyi informed the august House. According to Dr Mwinyi, lack of funds impedes the ministry and its entities from running its duties effectively.

He noted that Nyumbu, a leading army entity in technological research and development, could not undertake its obligations adequately due to financial constraints. “In the 2015/16 fiscal year, Nyumbu planned to undertake research on new technologies to improve the army vehicles and other facilities and rehabilitate machinery and other facilities,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Magufuli yesterday met and held talks at the State House with the recently appointed Board Chairman of Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) General (retired) George Waitara.