Dar in Another Crisis- Lowassa's Water Contract Turns Sour Afresh

[Kubwajinga]

Dar in yet another crisis over water contract turned sour

Monday, 17 March 2008
By Mohamed Said

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA — Tanzania has to attend yet another arbitration in which government is alleged to have mishandled a contract given to City Water, a Tanzanian registered firm but with British/German roots recently.

City Water alleges that it encountered a loss of US$20-25million when the government decided to terminate its contract and expel its executives in 2005.

On its part, the government accuses the firm for its inability to meet the set performance targets.

In an arbitration filed at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in August 2005 City Water alleges: “Breaches by the United Republic of Tanzania of its obligations under both international and domestic law concerning foreign investment which have caused loss in the region of US$ 20 to 25 million.”

ICSID is an arm of the World Bank. The Bank gave Tanzania $140million to privatise the Dar es Salaam City’s water and sewerage services. Dar is the most populated city in the country with an estimated three million plus residents.

Mr. Elias Mwashuya, the acting director of the Lawyers Environmental Action Tanzania (LEAT) told East African Business Week that the arbitration has attracted civic societies’ attention.

“We have filed amicus curiae with the ICSID seeking to have access to documents related to the case,” Mr. Mwashuya said.

ICSID seat is in Washington DC.

Also in the group is the Dar-based Tanzania Gender Network Group (TGNP), The Legal and Human Rights Centre and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

The government and City Water were locked in a dispute which however saw the former emerging the winner after a London-based tribunal which operates under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) had dismissed City Water’s claims that the government unfairly ended its contract.

The tribunal awarded Tanzania $6 million in damages and $1 million in legal costs.

Mr. Mwashuya said their request for the amicus curiae status has yet to be replied.(Amicus curiae status, is a legal Latin phrase, literally translated as “friend of the court”, that refers to someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it).

“We want to be friends of the arbitral tribunal,” he said. City Water has been up in arms with activists who are campaigning against the privatisation of public utilities such as water, ports, city transport and rail in weak economies like Tanzania.

The campaigners form pressure groups to discourage privatization of sensitive areas of economy arguing that it widens the gap between the haves and have-nots, increases the cost of living and marginalises the economically vulnerable groups such as women, the poor and children.

Tanzania bowed to international financiers’ pressureconfidential pending an outcome and protects evidence. Observers say attempts by third world countries to privatise their water supply services had disappointing results like in Bolivia, Gambia and Mali.


EABW

 

[Game Theory]

Tuache kumlaumu Lowasa kwenye hili...hapa serikali ya UK kupitia ofisi zake za DFID plae Dar wanajua walifanya nini

kama kuna mtu ana ubavu awacheki DFID Dar ndio mtajua

 

[Kubwajinga]

Tuache kumlaumu Lowasa kwenye hili...hapa serikali ya UK kupitia ofisi zake za DFID plae Dar wanajua walifanya nini

kama kuna mtu ana ubavu awacheki DFID Dar ndio mtajua

Mkuu GT,
Hili suala bado halijaisha maana ingawa linaonekana kuwa EL aliiokoa nchi, ukweli ni kuwa EL alituburuza kuufuta mkataba ili kujijenga kisiasa. Taratibu nyingi hazikufuatwa na hawa jamaa wana kesi nzuri tu ya kutuminya. Ni vema tukaliangalia kwa undani maana kama tumjuavyo EL, hakuna analofanya bila manufaa binafsi.

 

[Ngonalugali]

Mkuu GT,
Hili suala bado halijaisha maana ingawa linaonekana kuwa EL aliiokoa nchi, ukweli ni kuwa EL alituburuza kuufuta mkataba ili kujijenga kisiasa. Taratibu nyingi hazikufuatwa na hawa jamaa wana kesi nzuri tu ya kutuminya. Ni vema tukaliangalia kwa undani maana kama tumjuavyo EL, hakuna analofanya bila manufaa binafsi.

Hapo mkubwa umenena. Sioni sababu ya kumkumbatia EL kwa kuwa ni mfanyabiashara katika siasa na hakuna pa kumuachia. Kama kumbukumbu zangu ziko sahihi ni kwamba wakati anawatimua hao jamaa aliunda DAWASCO na akatangaza kuwa kuna fungu la bilioni sitini kwa ajili ya mradi wa kusambaza maji safi jijini Dar na pia kukarabati mfumo wa maji taka. Je, wa-Dar mtuambie huo mradi umeboresha nini Dar? mimi naona hata tule tu mitaro walitwochimba Kkoo hatuna kazi kwani ikinyesha milimita 20 (20mm) tunakuta maji machafu yamejaa barabarani.

Hii haiwezi kuwa picha kwamba yule bwana aliwatimua jamaa ili atafune hizo pesa za huo mradi? Naomba majibu kutoka kwa wachunguzi.

 

[Game Theory]

Mkuu GT,
Hili suala bado halijaisha maana ingawa linaonekana kuwa EL aliiokoa nchi, ukweli ni kuwa EL alituburuza kuufuta mkataba ili kujijenga kisiasa. Taratibu nyingi hazikufuatwa na hawa jamaa wana kesi nzuri tu ya kutuminya. Ni vema tukaliangalia kwa undani maana kama tumjuavyo EL, hakuna analofanya bila manufaa binafsi.

Mzee hiyo contract mimi ninayo na nilifanikiwa kupata docs ambazo DFID haitaki ziwekwe on public domain
Lowasa alihusika na yale maneno aliyoyasema pale GOLDEN TULIP yatamsuta

 

[Indume Yene]

Quote "Mzee hiyo contract mimi ninayo na nilifanikiwa kupata docs ambazo DFID haitaki ziwekwe on public domain
Lowasa alihusika na yale maneno aliyoyasema pale GOLDEN TULIP yatamsuta"

Kama una dokumaa zote kwa nini husiziweke hapa ili tuone ukweli uko wapi.Tusije tukawa tunamsulubu EL bila sababu. Sina sababu yoyote ya kumtetea EL maana najua alikuwa anajaribu kujisafishia njia ila naamini JF hapa ni DATA tu na si maneno.

 

[Kapinga]

Dar in yet another crisis over water contract turned sour

Monday, 17 March 2008
By Mohamed Said

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA — Tanzania has to attend yet another arbitration in which government is alleged to have mishandled a contract given to City Water, a Tanzanian registered firm but with British/German roots recently.

City Water alleges that it encountered a loss of US$20-25million when the government decided to terminate its contract and expel its executives in 2005.

On its part, the government accuses the firm for its inability to meet the set performance targets.

In an arbitration filed at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in August 2005 City Water alleges: “Breaches by the United Republic of Tanzania of its obligations under both international and domestic law concerning foreign investment which have caused loss in the region of US$ 20 to 25 million.”

ICSID is an arm of the World Bank. The Bank gave Tanzania $140million to privatise the Dar es Salaam City’s water and sewerage services. Dar is the most populated city in the country with an estimated three million plus residents.

Mr. Elias Mwashuya, the acting director of the Lawyers Environmental Action Tanzania (LEAT) told East African Business Week that the arbitration has attracted civic societies’ attention.

“We have filed amicus curiae with the ICSID seeking to have access to documents related to the case,” Mr. Mwashuya said.

ICSID seat is in Washington DC.

Also in the group is the Dar-based Tanzania Gender Network Group (TGNP), The Legal and Human Rights Centre and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

The government and City Water were locked in a dispute which however saw the former emerging the winner after a London-based tribunal which operates under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) had dismissed City Water’s claims that the government unfairly ended its contract.

The tribunal awarded Tanzania $6 million in damages and $1 million in legal costs.

Mr. Mwashuya said their request for the amicus curiae status has yet to be replied.(Amicus curiae status, is a legal Latin phrase, literally translated as “friend of the court”, that refers to someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it).

“We want to be friends of the arbitral tribunal,” he said. City Water has been up in arms with activists who are campaigning against the privatisation of public utilities such as water, ports, city transport and rail in weak economies like Tanzania.

The campaigners form pressure groups to discourage privatization of sensitive areas of economy arguing that it widens the gap between the haves and have-nots, increases the cost of living and marginalises the economically vulnerable groups such as women, the poor and children.

Tanzania bowed to international financiers’ pressureconfidential pending an outcome and protects evidence. Observers say attempts by third world countries to privatise their water supply services had disappointing results like in Bolivia, Gambia and Mali.


EABW

It seems the Lawyers Environmental Action Tanzania (LEAT) does not know or understand why the issue chose to Arbitrate instead of going to court..the whole point of Arbitration is to handle and settle matters privately..yani wanadhani barua zitajibiwa??..Are they serious? They think the ICSID will want their advice?? Do they know the level of expertise of the ICSID? Watu wengine wanalopoka ovyo...to me this is an embarrassment to lawyers. LEAT think before u start sending off emails to international bodies...

 

[Mbalamwezi]

"The tribunal awarded Tanzania $6 million in damages and $1 million in legal costs."

Wakuu naomba msaada, mnieleweshe, hivi zaidi ya hii sentensi, kuna neno jipya linaloonyesha kesi ile inakwendaje zaidi ya maamuzi haya? Nina wasiwasi kuwa hii article imekuwa overblown. Na hii ripoti ya faini hii ilishaandikwa mwezi uliopita.

Naona mengi ni background info to the problem, badala ya new development.

 

[Fundi Mchundo]

Kama alivyosema Kubwajinga hapa, tatizo ni jinsi tulivyofuta ule mkataba. Haki inawezekana tulikuwa nayo lakini tunajinyonga kwa namna tulivyoitafuta. Tusiwasingizie DFiD kwenye hili. Kuna njia za kuterminate contract na inaelekea sisi hatukufuata. Matatizo ni ya kwetu kwa kupenda maamuzi ya jukwaani.

 

[Fundi Mchundo]

Ni rahisi sana kuingia kwenye mkataba na si rahisi kujitoa. Hili mara nyingi tunasahau na ndio lililotupeleka hapa tulipo.

 

[mwewe]

Mbona ni mbia mmoja tu anayetajwa?

Huyu wa Superdoll yeye hana matatizo na huo mkataba?

Inavyoonekana huyu ndiye aliyembeba huyo wa nje. Lakini kila inapotajwa hii kashfa, jina lake halionekani.