Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Mr President J.K Kikwete and all Tanzanians for a big task towards development and toward improving life of each and everybody in our Country. Still we have the challenges which I believe the President himself can not do without our support and commitment towards the betterment of our Country
You can ask your self the following questions which are the main key proverbs among many of us. How many Tanzanian today they even can't predict their next meal? More than 36 percent of the Tanzanian population still lives below poverty line, with life expectancy remaining at 44 for men and 46 for women, according to UNDP's 2005 Human development report. For many years, Tanzania received more per capita aid from the World Bank than any other country in the world. By 1985 when Julius Nyerere retired, the nation got $6.4 billion of foreign aid. Despite this, Tanzanian economy shrunk an average of 0.3% between 1965 and 1986. Much of the poverty in which this African nation is mired today is the fault of the support of our leaders by the World Bank and the IMF Additionally, while the new Tanzanian government seems to be on the right track, many of its policies are very harmful. like An income tax rate of 30% kick and even threatens the Businesses while the expenses for Business operations are too high at the same time poor infastructures which do not give a promise at all. Tanzanians also pay a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 20% which is good interm of contributing to the State Budget but despite of all these Tanzanian today is still so far behind while the economy is dependent on international capitalism.
Why is Tanzania still behind Despite of having all the Natural resources? Why should Tanzania continue to be poor? Why do the standards of living have continued to decline? I may call it " a tragic mix-up when Government spends 2 billion shillings just for two houses at the same time the statistics shows that during the fiscal year 2007/2008 the Bank of Tanzania made a loss of 91 Billions shillings, In my opinion I think it was wise enough for BOT to give out a clearly measure for recovering the loss and instead the BoT is keeping our Country inside the hole by increasing unnecessary expenditure which I believe they could have been opted a better way of building those two houses for a less money. Let us see the ongoing issues of Kilosa how many human beings are in suffering due to the outbreak of floods? Many of those people need help from Government more than anything else. We shouldn't expect till someone from other country to help us while if we could have a better plans and management the issues could have been solved immediately. I think our leaders needs to understand that in comparison of our country with other rich Nations, still we are far behind in terms of our Economic and that we need to focus our energy and ability in giving priority in solving problems which seems to be a cries of many Tanzanian. We are all the witness of the reality, in many parts of the Tanzania; however, there are serious challenges and resource constraints to development as defined above large segments of the population face Crushing poverty infrastructure and services in housing, health, education and employment are not sufficient to meet basic needs and vast numbers of people are unemployed
Today the whole world come together to fight back against the global recession, not with words but with a plan for global recovery and one of the ongoing plan is reducing expenditure but this seems with us a quite different. It's a time where people needs to wakeup and see things in four angle dimension especially accountability for those whose work is exposed as abuse of position, misuse of public funds.
Under these difficult conditions, public official have to take the lead in rebuilding our Nation, setting up infrastructure and striving to develop society their decisions in carrying out their duties will be shaped more by party expediencies than public interest our leaders have to remember that we gave them enormous power as they decide on the future of state assets. The situation happened seem inevitable and necessary evil in our Nation which is emerging up very quickly.
We need to see structural reform in the executive authority; We need to see restructuring, a work plan, and a real independence of the judiciary, a real separation of power I believe that Civilization can only revive when there shall come into being in a number of individuals a new tone of mind, independent of the prevalent one among the crowds, and in opposition to it a tone of mind which will gradually win influence over the collective one, and in the end determine its character. Only an ethical movement can rescue us from barbarism, and the ethical comes into existence only in individuals.
The surface of Tanzanian society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old black colonialism colors breaking through. Do we really have a democracy where the few minorities justify without shame their embezzlements?
The situation in Tanzanian should never be an option. It solves very little especially when at the same time we are hoping for our country to be a preferred investment destination. Lets be encouraged by the release of such information and begin pressuring the govt and our MP's to do something' about it. Firstly, all the money that has been misappropriated in building those mansions is tax money, money from our own pockets …have you ever noticed that?
According to the Citizen News of 14 November 2009 which reads "The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has secured a $40 million (Sh52.8 billion) loan from the World Bank for the establishment of a Housing Finance Project (HFP) to help ease the housing shortage, especially in the urban centres"bearing in mind that this loan will have to be paid back through our own Tax that means they should be used in manner that favours the aim.In reality our beloved Nation can not be Independent just because we still depend from the flow of funds from Rich Nation,but till when?it seems we can always be the same till the end due to the lack and missappropriate of fund and poor management.
Ofcourse the recent political events in Tanzania to solve our internal problems using democratic process especially when the former Prime Minister of the state and other Ministers are accused to be involved in the so called "RICHMOND" corruption, have been admired by mostly citizens who have the passion of developing their Country in term of Transparency and Democracy but still much to be done because now we can see the method of misuse of Public fund has changed and become also "Transparent" when the Government Agency stands and Justifying their Endeavor through Public that we have used 2 Billion for Building two houses.
Frankly saying I do not believe that our Country is poor but it is poor managed by few people who are in the system these people instead of caring our Nation but they have turned our Lovely Nation into their Private -bank. I believe that the solution is to take stern actions against the situation before it comes to be worse.
Dear Tanzanians we have seen more than enough lets open the door for our future generation who will always be proud of our hardworking, now everything is open to decide the lives we live sometime it is the smallest decisions that can change your life forever if life can not be acceptable it can easily be changed lets be the changes we want to see. If we cant creates this changes today for better the changes will change into worse situation.
GOD BLESS TANZANIA
ANTHONY KASSAMALI
