IsayaMwita
JF-Expert Member
- Mar 9, 2008
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Ni kweli wabunge wachache wa ccm siku moja tunaamini wataisaliti ccm, hawataweza kuvumilia hata kidogo wakiona jinsi viongozi wao wa ngazi za juu za chama wakiiba rasilimali za umma,
Power woes:MPs descend on Mkapa, Yona
2008-04-23 09:39:57
By Judica Tarimo, Dodoma
Members of Parliament yesterday blamed the power crisis Tanzania has been facing squarely on controversial agreements signed during the third-phase Benjamin Mkapa presidency, when Daniel Yona was Energy and Minerals minister.
They described the contracts as having been so overly dubious, corruption-induced and costly that they threw the country into needless acute social and economic problems.
Debating the 2008 Electricity Bill in the National Assembly, the legislators also said Mkapa and Yona were the primary cause of the current bad blood between the government and MPs over whether the bill should be endorsed.
Energy and Minerals minister William Ngeleja tabled the bill three days ago.
National Assembly Speaker Samwel Sitta was forced to extend debate on the bill, which some legislators have rejected outright.
At the centre of the controversy are provisions which open the doors to Tanzania`s electricity generation and supply sector to private and foreign players that would inevitably compete with the giant but struggling state-owned Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco).
While some MPs view the open-door policy introduced by the government as a threat to the crucial power sector and the entire Tanzanian population, others see it as a liberating factor, particularly for rural areas with no access to the benefits electricity offers.
In a dramatic turn of events, some lawmakers yesterday openly pointed an accusing finger at Mkapa and Yona over the country`s long-running power woes.
``Today, we are discussing problems with power supply in our country. But these problems were partly caused by
the former president and his friend, Daniel Yona. Using their own company, Tanpower Resource Ltd, Mkapa and
Yona bought the state-owned Kiwira coal-power project at 700m/-, which is far below the actual value of 4bn/-,`` charged Vunjo MP Aloyce Kimaro (CCM).
He said Mkapa and Yona corruptly and secretly purchased the Kiwira power project at the throwaway price in the name of implementing the privatisation policies then in vogue, adding that the controversial purchase was effected in 2005.
He expressed disappointment that, as if that was not bad enough, Mkapa and Yona went on pay a meagre 70m/- as down payment out of the full 700m/- they were supposed to pay.
``It`s extremely painful seeing that they are yet to complete paying the money (700m/-) despite the fact that the project was grossly underpriced and that they sold a state-owned company to their own firm at a paltry 700m/- instead of 4bn/-,`` a visibly shaken Kimaro noted.
He explained that Tanpower Resource and Tanesco also secretly entered into a dubious contract under which the former is now paid a daily 146m/- in so-called capacity charges.
The MP asked President Jakaya Kikwete ``to say No to corrupt public leaders`` and take severe action against all those implicated in dubious contracts that have cost the nation a fortune.
``We cannot solve our electricity and other problems if we don`t take drastic action against these corrupt public leaders. They are a huge disgrace and an embarrassment Very shameful Why do we embrace and entertain elements of such ilk?� queried a fuming Kimaro.
``It`s high time President Kikwete stood firm and said No� a big No to all corrupt leaders. He should not tolerate such leaders. The realization of a better life for all Tanzanians will be impossible if we don�t pin them down,`` he added.
Contributing on the debate, Manju Msambya (Kigoma South - CCM) said NetGroup Solutions ``killed`` Tanesco instead of strengthening the operations of the state-run firm. The South African firm was contracted to manage Tanesco during the Mkapa presidency.
``They (NetGroup) did not come with any power solution in hand, only more problems In short, I could safely say: `They came! They divided us! They netted us! And then there was no solution`,`` stated the legislator.
Opposition MP Philemon Ndesamburo (Chadema) blasted NetGroup Solutions and the third-phase government, saying both contributed to Tanesco`s degeneration, plunging the country into a power crisis without record.
``The third-phase government is the one which caused the electricity problems we are witnessing today. They came up with dubious contracts and capacity charges amounting to billions of shillings but no electricity for wananchi,`` he observed.
The government is having a hard time trying to persuade MPs into endorsing the bill, thus paving the way for its enactment.
Minister Ngeleja was scheduled to wind up debate on the bill yesterday evening but by the time we went to press the fate of the bill still hung in the balance.
SOURCE: Guardian
Members of Parliament yesterday blamed the power crisis Tanzania has been facing squarely on controversial agreements signed during the third-phase Benjamin Mkapa presidency, when Daniel Yona was Energy and Minerals minister.
Saaafi sana, wabunge wasilale tena saa ndio hii imefika ya ukombozi!
Mkuu nadhani hii niiweke kwa mtindo wa swali kwakuwa bado haijaeleza bayana kuwa anayechunguzwa ni Mkapa. Ila ukweli ni kuwa pamoja na zunguka yote Mkapa ni mmojawapo wa walengwa!Amesema iwapo itabainika kuwa kuna viongozi wana kesi za kujibu kuhusiana na matendo yao ya kifisadi, watachukuliwa hatua za kisheria.
Mkuu nadhani hii niiweke kwa mtindo wa swali kwakuwa bado haijaeleza bayana kuwa anayechunguzwa ni Mkapa. Ila ukweli ni kuwa pamoja na zunguka yote Mkapa ni mmojawapo wa walengwa!
Tusubiri tuone, wanaochunguza wanatoka wapi? kwani walikuwa wapi? Pinda ajue bado sisi watanzania tuna imani naye wala asiwatetee hawa jamaa.
Interesting... That's it!Pia inaweza kuwa wanawachunguza ili wawasafishe