Concern over Dar's huge climate team

[BAK]

2009-12-02 09:34:00
By Mkinga Mkinga and Beatus Kagashe
THE CITIZEN

Tanzania is sending one of the largest delegations to the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change this week despite growing concern that the country is spending billions of shillings on foreign trips annually at the expense of providing critical public services.

Reports indicate between 60 and 95 people, most of them government officials, will represent the country at the conference, which opens on Friday, in the Danish capital, with the colossal spending already drawing criticism from various quarters at home.

The delegation will be the second largest from Africa, after Nigeria, which is sending some 125 people to the crucial meeting on global change.

With an average annual per capita income of $440 (Sh572,000), Tanzania, with a population of over 35 million, is much poorer than oil-rich Nigeria, whose 150 million people have an annual per capita income of $1,160 (Sh1.5million).

China, with over 1.3 billion people, the largest population in the world, and whose rapidly growing industrialisation has attracted one of the hottest debates on the carbon emissions largely to blame for global warming, is expected to send a delegation of only 25 to 30 officials.

Contacted for comment in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the minister for State in the Vice-President?s Office, responsible for the environment, Dr Batilda Burian, could not confirm the final tally of the government?s delegation to the meeting in Denmark.

However, Dr Burian said that not all those who had expressed interest in traveling to Copenhagen would make it. She said some officials have not got visas or sponsorship for various departments or agencies.

The minister, who will be in the delegation, said either President Jakaya Kikwete or Vice-President Ali Mohammed Shein would lead the Tanzanian team to the meeting to run from December 7 to 18.

President Kikwete has been out of the country since November 22, during which he has visited Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and is currently in Cuba. He is expected back at the end of the week.

The Citizen established yesterday that at least 60 people had applied for Schengen visas at the Swedish embassy in Dar es Salaam. The number was likely to increase, as there was still enough time to beat the application deadline.

The ccounsellor for Political Affairs and Trade at the embassy, Mr Andreas Ershammar, said 30 people had already collected their visas. He said 10 of the applicants were from NGOs and the media.

Mr Ershammar said some applicants had been given time to file sufficient documents before being issued with visas.

Top government functionaries and other public officials have often been accused of using foreign trips to line their pockets with hefty allowances that sometimes easily triple their monthly salaries.

A recent report by Policy Forum, a non-governmental organisation based in Dar es Salaam, said the foreign trips had become quite lucrative for public officials, with each earning between Sh403,000 and Sh546,000 daily while overseas.

According to the report, the Office of the President and Cabinet Secretariat is the highest recipient of funds for allowances and will gobble up Sh148.7 billion in payments this financial year alone.

The National Assembly is second with MPs and staff earning a total of Sh36.8 billion in allowances this year. Their vote rose by 40 per cent over the Sh26.3 billion allocated the previous year.

Among those on record, as protesting the wanton waste in endless trips, seminars, and workshops is Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, but the gravy train continues.

Tanzania's delegation to the recent annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank outstripped those of the four other EAC countries combined. Whereas Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya sent a total of 26 people, with delegations of five to seven people, Tanzania had 25 representatives.

The trip is estimated to have cost the taxpayer Sh173 million, assuming a mid-level allowance and travel on discounted business class. But experience has shown that the government's representatives often travel first class.

During this year's International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Tanzania sent 40 people while South Africa and Kenya, which have stronger economies, had 26 and 35, respectively.

Yesterday, critics said the country should send a lean team with a concrete report for presentation.

The director of the Institute for Resource Assessment (IRA) of the University of Dar es Salaam, Prof Pius Yanda, said academics had been involved in preparing the country report.

"We are leaving today for the meeting but I don't know how many Tanzanians will participate. We have a report we will present as a country," said Prof Yanda.

Tanzania Media Women Association (Tamwa) secretary general Annanilea Nkya said it was a waste of public resources to send such a big team to one meeting, adding it could only be motivated by the generous allowances.

"What is important is to have an appropriate agenda and not many people at the forum,"she said.

The executive secretary of Agenda Participation 2000, an anti-corruption NGO, Mr Moses Kulaba, said the big delegation may not deliver coherently. He said the government could not justify sending such a large number.

"We should have selected a few experts to represent the country while the rest remain working at home," said Mr Kulaba.

He said it was also interesting that the government had only on Monday launched its five-year climate change impact programme to reduce carbon emissions.

Journalists Environment Association (JET) chairman Deodatus Mfugale also criticised the big delegation, saying it was not necessary, as a country report had been adopted.

"With such a number I wonder why the government did not sponsor a single journalist to attend the conference, he posed, adding that volunteers sponsored six reporters to cover the important meeting.

 

[BAK]

Jamaa wanachota tu bila hata huruma kwa walipa kodi. Labda ndiyo katika kutimiza kauli mbiu ya Ari mpya, kasi mpya na nguvu mpya ya kuifisadi Tanzania.

 

[TIMING]

Huu ni unyonge na poor planning kwa serikali kuu, kwasababu vibali vya maafisa wa ikulu kusafiri na utashangaa wanatoa vyote. Sidhani kama tunahitaji tena watumishi wa serikali kwenda nje kwani we need to start benefitting from what they learnt and acquired so far kwa maendeleo ya taifa

Tunataka matunda ya safari ---- Ningepewa siku moja ningekausha safari kwa miezi sita tu halafu tuone jinsi watu wanavyofanya kazi

So far there are lots of pending files, lots of poor continuity of information etc kwasababu tu ya per diem....Matatizo ya per diem ni makubwa kuliko tunavyodhani,

An i bet that only 20-30% ya wanaoenda ndio watahudhuria kwa ukamilifu

 

[Fundi Mchundo]

Mtalalmika tu wkkati wenzenu wanachekelea all the way to the bamk!

Amandla......

 

[TIMING]

Mtalalmika tu wkkati wenzenu wanachekelea all the way to the bamk!

Amandla......

Anayetafuta hachoki, na mie sichoki kulalamika hadi siku moja kilio changu kisikike

Kuna idara wananyima watu hata pesa na overtime halafu wanakokotana kwenda mkutno wiki 2

Gademu!!

 

[Sikonge]

Kama tuliwaweka sasa tunalialia nini?

Acha wafaidi maana walifanya kazi sana kukampeni hadi wakaanguka majukwaani.

Viongozi wa CCM, nyie kuleni sana tu. Haya makelele ya VYURA wala yasiwape shida.

Kama kutembea tembeeni sana. Kama kubembea, bembeeni sana tu. Kama ni vekesheni kama za Michuzi, nendeni sana. Wenye chuki wajinyonge.

Sasa nimechoshwa na hizi nyimbo. ACHA WAFAIDI. Kuleni sana tu hizo Per Dim maana inawezekana mwakani ukawa mwisho wa dunia kwenu. Mtasema nini mbele ya Mungu?
Mashangingi endesheni sana tu. Misafara ya ndani na nje bebeni hadi watoto wa nyumba ndogo na mahouse girl wenu.

 

[TIMING]

Kama tuliwaweka sasa tunalialia nini?

Acha wafaidi maana walifanya kazi sana kukampeni hadi wakaanguka majukwaani.

Viongozi wa CCM, nyie kuleni sana tu. Haya makelele ya VYURA wala yasiwape shida.

Kama kutembea tembeeni sana. Kama kubembea, bembeeni sana tu. Kama ni vekesheni kama za Michuzi, nendeni sana. Wenye chuki wajinyonge.

Sasa nimechoshwa na hizi nyimbo. ACHA WAFAIDI. Kuleni sana tu hizo Per Dim maana inawezekana mwakani ukawa mwisho wa dunia kwenu. Mtasema nini mbele ya Mungu?
Mashangingi endesheni sana tu. Misafara ya ndani na nje bebeni hadi watoto wa nyumba ndogo na mahouse girl wenu.

Mh, jamani sio kila kitu kiwe siasa!!! Hivi unataka kuniambia CHADEMA wakichukua nchi hata wakuu wa idara watakuwa chadema??

 

[Sikonge]

Mh, jamani sio kila kitu kiwe siasa!!! Hivi unataka kuniambia CHADEMA wakichukua nchi hata wakuu wa idara watakuwa chadema??

Kwa katiba ya Tanzania, inatosha kuwa na RAIS mwenye akili na upendo wa nchi yake. CHADEMA au CCM wote ni mtu na mtoto wake. Labda kianze chama kama cha Kishoka ambacho hakitakuwa na watu waliowahi kushika wadhifa wowote wa CCM.

Kuna jamaa anajifanya ni CCM wacha. Akilewa na kuanza kuropoka ndiyo utafahamu ni nani. Jamaa ni Mzinga wa tapeli. Anadanganya hadi anajidanganya mwenyewe.

Tuliandika hapa kuhusu kiongozi mmoja wa CCM wa vijana. Alikuwa akirusha matusi mazito majukwaani nilisikia. Alipouguwa CCM wakala kona na walikuja haohao aliokuwa akiwatukana wakamuuguza hadi anafariki. Sidhani kama vyama ni tegemeo la nchi. Huu ni kama umoja wa MAFIA. Ukitandikwa risasi wanakumalizia maana unawachelewesha, tofauti na wanajeshi wa ukweli.

Ndiyo maana nilimwambia Kishoka kuwa miiko ya viongozi na katiba ya chama ndiyo itanifanya kuwa mwana chama au lahh. Vinginevyo nitakufa sijawahi kupiga kura.

 

[Genda]

Mimi nafikiria kuwa msimamo wa Tanzania, kama misimamo ya nchi za madola (Port of Spain, T&T), hauna haja ya ujumbe mkubwa kama huo! Wanaenda kufanya nini na hali walishayasema huko Port of Spain, T&T)?

Ama wanakwenda kutafuta wawekezaji ili wapewe 10% zao?

 

[Bluray]

Huu ni kama utamaduni wetu, tangu at least Rio.

And then utasikia Kiwaziri Mkuu fulani kinakuja na mkwala wa kubana matumizi kwa kuacha makongamano yasiyo lazima, huku serikali yenyewe haionyeshi mfano.

Wengine wanataka kumalizia nyumba zao hapo hapo, kupeleka watoto shule hapo hapo, matatizo yote yatapachikwa safari hii.

Unapeleka watu watano kama sio watatu wanatosha. After all it's not like tutasema chochote cha zaidi na watu wote hao ambacho hakiwezi kusemwa na watu watano vichwa.

Hela nyingine unapeleka kwenye miradi ya maendeleo, kuna wajomba Rufiji na Utete miguu imejaa fuinza kibao (no joke) hawana hata jinsi ya kuanza kuitafuta dispensary ya karibu.

Kuna vijana kibao wana ideas nzuri tu ambazo cost ya malazi ya watu kumi kwa siku moja inawatoa maisha yao yote yanabadilika.

kuna kinamama wajawazito wanakufa katika uzazi kwa kukosa vitu basic kabisa.

Wengine wanagida tu.Ningekuwa naamini mungu na moto hapa ndipo pangekuwa mahali pa kuvi invoke hivi vitu. Unfortunately najua they don't work, so how about protesting.

Wallahi najisikia kupanda ndege kwenda kwenye mkutano , katikati ya environmentalist protesters nashika bango langu

"The Tanzanian Delegation's Carbon Footprint is Disproportionately Large"

"Poor Country, Big Delegation"

Tanzania:Unsustainable Zealotry or Pure Gluttony?

 

[Pape]

hivi kwani Tanzania ni mwanachama wa UNFCC au IPCC? je hao 'delegates' wa Tanzania wanamchango (ujuzi) gani katika suala zima la 'uchafuzi wa mazingira'? (hasa kutokana na hewa chafu CO2)? Ahhh kama wanaenda kualii basi fresh!

 

[MchunguZI]

hivi kwani Tanzania ni mwanachama wa UNFCC au IPCC? je hao 'delegates' wa Tanzania wanamchango (ujuzi) gani katika suala zima la 'uchafuzi wa mazingira'? (hasa kutokana na hewa chafu CO2)? Ahhh kama wanaenda kualii basi fresh!

Tatizo ni kwamba mikutano yote ya maandalizi ya mkutano huu ujao iliyokuwa ikifanyika mwaka mzima, Tanzania haikupeleka wataalamu wa maana. Walikuwa wakienda watu kufanya shopping bila mchango wowote.

Huu wa Copenhagen, ni safari ya bure kwa sababu mambo na misimamo imeshawekwa. Hiyo idadi kubwa ina maana gani wakati huu?

Hii ni marudio ya vitendo vya Earth Summit, ya Rio de Janeiro mwaka 1992 ambapo ugeni wa Tanzania ulisifika kwa kwenda na vimada. Natabiri, wakisharudi ndo utasikia changu doa waliokwenda kutetea Climate change.

 

[Pape]

Tatizo ni kwamba mikutano yote ya maandalizi ya mkutano huu ujao iliyokuwa ikifanyika mwaka mzima, Tanzania haikupeleka wataalamu wa maana. Walikuwa wakienda watu kufanya shopping bila mchango wowote.

Huu wa Copenhagen, ni safari ya bure kwa sababu mambo na misimamo imeshawekwa. Hiyo idadi kubwa ina maana gani wakati huu?

Hii ni marudio ya vitendo vya Earth Summit, ya Rio de Janeiro mwaka 1992 ambapo ugeni wa Tanzania ulisifika kwa kwenda na vimada. Natabiri, wakisharudi ndo utasikia changu doa waliokwenda kutetea Climate change.

kazi ipo, toba weeeeee

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Kwanza kwa nini tunapeleka delegation huko? Haya mambo ya climate sisi ya nini....aaaaah....hii mijitu inaudhi sana. Mnapeleka mijitu kibao huo na kutumia mahela kibao wakati wagonjwa wanalala sakafuni mahospitalini na watoto wanasomea shule chini ya mibuyu. Talk about twisted priorities....