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Allowances: Ex-German president warns govt |
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 23:46 |
By Polycarp Machira The Citizen Reporter Dar es Salaam. The debate on allowances paid to civil servants took a new turn yesterday when former German president Horst Kohler warned the government that its image was at stake.Prof Kohler said in Dar es Salaam that donors were closely monitoring the debate, adding that it might end up tarnishing the governments image before development partners if it was not handled properly.Responding to a question during a dialogue at Movenpick Hotel, he said the debate did present a good picture of the countrys expenditure priorities. Prof Kohler said it was not in order for a country like Tanzania, which received substantial assistance from donor countries, to set aside huge sums as allowances for government officials, who were also being paid salaries. Giving an example of his own country, he said: In Germany, such officials have to foot their own bills while attending official duties. He added that payment of allowances was not a proper way of spending taxpayers money. Prof Kohler said at the Maendeleo Dialogue, organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and the Tanzania Development Initiative Programme (Tadip), that Western countries were likely to react once they had all the facts on the allowances debate. He spoke as debate on allowances paid to public officials raged. Opposition MP Zitto Kabwe last week said he would not accept allowances during Parliaments ongoing Budget sitting in Dodoma. The Kigoma North MP said parliamentarians and government officials did not deserve to be paid allowances as they went about their official duties. Prof Kohler urged the government to uphold transparency and accountability.Prof Kohler noted that Tanzania had made great strides in development, but added that a lot more needed to be done to promote the rule of law, saying this would enhance the publics trust on the government. The former Head of State, a well-known proponent of Western development assistance for African countries, said only the people, leaders and government can bring about real change in Tanzania. Speaking on the theme of Cooperation and Solidarity Opportunities for International Social Market Economy, he said there were variations among countries, making the dream of a global social market unlikely in the near future. On the road to the new Constitution, Prof Kohler said it was necessary to bring in national values in the envisaged law. He said the process was an opportunity for Tanzanians to discuss values to be incorporated in the Constitution, noting, for instance, that the German constitution opened up with the line Dignity for human being is untouchable. While praising Tanzania for steps taken towards development, Prof Kohler said the country had numerous long-term development plans that should be implemented to accelerate growth.It is not only important to discuss visions but you should also reflect on implementation. Let accountability prevail such that leaders are held accountable for promises they made, he said. Bank of Tanzania (BoT) governor Benno Ndulu said Tanzania had for a long time faced the challenge of balancing what the government and the private sector ought to do. He said the government had the important role of complementing the positive impact of the private sector. The government should put in place infrastructure that supports private sector initiatives to boost growth as well as improve institutions that stand for property rights and resolve disputes, Prof Ndulu said. Another panelist, Dr Camilius Kassala from the Institute of Finance Management (IFM), said many African leaders would do only what is practical even if it was unethical. He noted that a social market economy should be inclusive and provide for accountability. Dr Kassala urged the government to facilitate the private sectors participation in the market, adding that freedom of market must be matched with social justice. |