Fisadi Ballali

[Mtanzania]

BoT squanders over 500m/- on `useless` Ballali photos


THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam

THE Bank of Tanzania (BoT)’s extravagant spending of public funds during 2006/07 included the purchase of now-useless photographs of the then governor, Dr Daudi Ballali, for a staggering 551m/-, THISDAY can reveal today.

According to the latest BoT audit report, the photographs purchased for more than half a billion shillings from a Canadian company were intended to adorn the BoT Twin Towers headquarters and other central bank offices in the country.

The transaction was uncovered by auditors Ernst & Young while cross-checking expenses related to the Twin Towers project, whose ever-ballooning overall construction costs have already become a subject of much public curiosity and suspicion.

The 2006/07 audit report prepared by Ernst & Young was handed over by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) to the BoT’s board of directors last month. The CAG is the BoT’s statutory auditor.

It appears that the photos of Ballali, who was sacked from the BoT governorship by President Jakaya Kikwete early this year, were bought by the central bank from one Zahur Ramji of Mediapix International Limited based in Ontario, Canada, for a total of $432,096 (approx. 551m/-) in taxpayers’ money.

The ex-governor, whose sacking was related to the discovery of the 133bn/- external payment arrears (EPA) account embezzlement scandal, is reported to have since died of an unspecified illness in the US capital of Washington DC in mid-May.

According to the latest audit findings, the photos mostly feature images of Ballali ’’with various other leaders and (BoT) members of staff.’’

’’These pictures are intended for interior decoration of the (central bank) offices, board room, and regional branches,’’ further notes the Ernst & Young report.

But with the ex-governor now conclusively out of the picture, as it were, it is now unclear of what use the expensive murals will now be for the central bank.

It is understood that the photographs totalled 70 in number, bought at a cost of between $3,967 (approx. 4.7m/-) and $9,878 (11.7m/-) per piece.
Says the audit report: ’’The pictures were all of the same size and quality�we found no visible difference between those which were purchased at $3,967 per piece and those purchased at $9,878 per piece.’’

The auditors further assert that there was no evidence of the purported ’’high quality framing’’ specified on the purchase invoices to justify the extraordinary price tags.

’’The pictures have a black plastic band, and the back of the pictures are devoid of hanging apparatus, and whose technology could be available locally,’’ says the audit report.

Furthermore, it is stated that a physical verification by the auditors uncovered that only 43 photographs bought from Mediapix International Ltd were actually in the BoT’s possession by the time of the audit.

The verification also found that the types of photographs specified in the invoices did not match the actual pictures supplied by the Canadian-based company.

According to the audit report, the purchase of the photographs - done without a competitive tender process being properly advertised in local newspapers � was a violation of the Public Procurement Act of 2004.

’’The transaction involved an international procurement for (a) significant amount without compliance to the requirements of the Public Procurement Regulations of 2005, which require competitive tendering for such procurements in order to obtain a competitive, qualitative and economic price,’’ the report says in part.

It continues: ’’The contract was structured as a single source procurement on the justification that the services were available only from a particular supplier - Mr Zahur Ramji of Canada. We (auditors) found no justification that there is only one supplier of photographic murals in the world.’’

’’The Bank (BoT) is at risk of overpriced or dummy procurements. Laxity in enforcing procurement, places the bank at risk from procurement fraud and consequently corruption and bad publicity,’’ concludes the report on this specific query regarding the controversial Ballali photos.

According to THISDAY’s reliable sources, the new BoT management under incumbent governor Prof. Benno Ndulu has since instituted its own investigation into this particular deal.

’’The (BoT) management has further written to enquire from Mediapix International Limited about the prices that were charged for the pictures, to establish if they were standard prices for the firm’s services and whether other customers have been charged similar rates. Based on the results of this inquiry, appropriate action will be taken,’’ said a source.

It is furthermore understood that Mediapix International Limited has already responded to the query by defending its prices as ’’fair and appropriate.’’

 

[Rwabugiri]

Duu?? yaani BOT isha kuwa chaka la Wezi na vibaka, yaani picha nusu bilioni?

 

[Mtanzania]

Duu?? yaani BOT isha kuwa chaka la Wezi na vibaka, yaani picha nusu bilioni?

Huyo ndio msomi wa IMF, aliyekuwa anatoa ushauri wa kiuchumi kwa nchi mbalimbali. Waafrika sijui tumerogwa nini?

 

[MwanajamiiOne]

Huyo ndio msomi wa IMF, aliyekuwa anatoa ushauri wa kiuchumi kwa nchi mbalimbali. Waafrika sijui tumerogwa nini?

International Monetary Fund.

 

[Selous]

Afrika shamba la bibi bwana toka enzi zileeeeee

 

[Koba]

Incredible...as they always do!

 

[Chief]

Incredible...as they always do!

Je, kuna uwezekano wa kubinafsisha shughuli za BoT zikaenda mfano KCB au Barcklays, amabao walizikataa pesa za EPA? Ikiwa BoT ambaye ni msimamizi wa mabenki hapa nchini ndio inaongoza kwa uozo, itasimamia vipi banks zilizo chini yake?

 

[Bibi Ntilie]

"Ulaji" huu hauko BoT tu uko ofisi nyingi za Umma. Wakati mwingine hata huyo kiongozi wa ofisi hawezi kujua kwamba kuna transactions za aina hiyo zinafanyika ndani ya ofisi yake! Suala hilo la ununuzi wa picha yawezekana wala halikufikishwa kupata kibali cha Balali mwenyewe. Kama bado wapo Viongozi waadilifu basi wapaswa kuwa macho na kuwa makini sana kuhakikisha kwamba wanakuwa wafuatiliaji na wadhibiti wakuu wa kweli wa wa fedha za ofisi zao.

 

[Keil]

"Ulaji" huu hauko BoT tu uko ofisi nyingi za Umma. Wakati mwingine hata huyo kiongozi wa ofisi hawezi kujua kwamba kuna transactions za aina hiyo zinafanyika ndani ya ofisi yake! Suala hilo la ununuzi wa picha yawezekana wala halikufikishwa kupata kibali cha Balali mwenyewe. Kama bado wapo Viongozi waadilifu basi wapaswa kuwa macho na kuwa makini sana kuhakikisha kwamba wanakuwa wafuatiliaji na wadhibiti wakuu wa kweli wa wa fedha za ofisi zao.

Matumizi ya milioni 500 yaidhinishwe bila mkuu wa taasisi kujua? Sina hakika na hilo.

Hizo milioni 500 zilitoka kwenye fungu gani? Milioni 500 ni nyingi na lazima ziwe kwenye bajeti ambayo ilipitishwa na taasisi husika. Kwa hiyo kusema kwamba transactions zilifanyika bila ya mkuu wa taasisi kuwa na taarifa hapo siwezi kukubali.

Watu wadogo wadogo wanakula transactions za vimilioni na vilaki, lakini siyo mamilioni ambayo Auditor akija lazima ashituke!

 

[Gaijin]

milioni 500 kwa picha ?? i think we could do without kama hali ndo hii! heeeee

 

[William J. Malecela]

THE Bank of Tanzania (BoT)'s extravagant spending of public funds during 2006/07 included the purchase of now-useless photographs of the then governor, Dr Daudi Ballali, for a staggering 551m/-, THISDAY can reveal today.

According to the latest BoT audit report, the photographs purchased for more than half a billion shillings from a Canadian company were intended to adorn the BoT Twin Towers headquarters and other central bank offices in the country.

The transaction was uncovered by auditors Ernst & Young while cross-checking expenses related to the Twin Towers project, whose ever-ballooning overall construction costs have already become a subject of much public curiosity and suspicion.

Duh! Eti wakuu mnaojua vizuri hii ni kweli au maneno tu? Damn!

 

[S. S. Phares]

Huu wizi ulikuwa sio wa kawaida; ningekuwa JK ningeenda very slow katika kuubana huu mtandao wa maovu wa BoT. JK akienda papara anaweza kujikuta matatizoni; simply because hawa jamaa wamechukua hela nyingi sana; they can do almost anything katika nchi yetu masikini.

 

[Kichuguu]

Zilikuwa picha za kuchora kwa rangi ya mafuta au ni hizi za ku-xerox?

 

[Mhafidhina]

Yaani hata picha za Picasso na Da Vinci, watu mashuhuri duniani waliochora picha maarufi duniani na za gharama hazikuwahi kufukia kiasi hicho cha gharama.

tanzania tumevunja rekodi ya kununua picha kwa gharama hio.

Mi nafkiri wale wote waliokua Directors na viongozi ndani ya BoT wakati wa Balali wachukuliwe hatua kali za kisheria ikiwa ni pamoja na kukufilisiwa. Haiwezekani kutumia gharama ya dola 9,000 kununua picha moja....!

Hata picha za Buckiham palace (anakoishi malkia) hazijafikia gharama hio

Pia kuna taarifa ya kwamba fanicha zilizonunuliwa kwa ajili ya kuwekwa kwenye Twin towers zilinununuliwa kwa kiwango cha gharama kubwa kupita kiasi na gharama hizo sio za kweli.

Kuna watu walikula cha juu...! Kama kuna mtu mwenye taarifa za zaidi naomba atuhabarishe...!

 

[jmushi1]

Huu wizi ulikuwa sio wa kawaida; ningekuwa JK ningeenda very slow katika kuubana huu mtandao wa maovu wa BoT. JK akienda papara anaweza kujikuta matatizoni; simply because hawa jamaa wamechukua hela nyingi sana; they can do almost anything katika nchi yetu masikini.

Hizi stori za taratibu zimepitwa na wakati.
Kweli nyie watu hamjui kusoma ramani mnabakia kwenye politics za kupapasa papasa tuuu!
Reality hapa ni kwamba hakuna fisadi lisilojulikana sasa hivi...Na kama mpaka sasa hujui picha nzima...Then umelala ule usingizi wa kenya walipenda kusema...WALALA FOFOFO.

 

[Bongolander]

Hapa tunazugana tu. Kinachotakiwa sasa ni hatua kuchukuliwa kwa wale waliothibitika kuwa wezi, Serikali au kundi linalopambana na mafisadi linatakiwa kwenda a step ahead kwa sababu waliotajwa na waliothibitika wapo, wachukuliwe hatua hao kwanza (za Kisheria na sio za kinidhamu) then tuanze kuangalia wengine. Balali alijijiuzulu hakufukuzwa, kumfukuza mtu aliyeandika barua ya kujiuzulu hakuna maana yoyote ni sawa na kupiga risasi maiti halafu unajisifu kuwa umeua jambazi, ni kujaribu tu kujitafutia sifa na kuonesha watu kuwa uko makini lakini wenye akili wanajua kuwa ni ovyo. Kuna haja gani ya kumsakama "marehemu" wakati wanaotakiwa kufualitiwa na kushughulikiwa wapo na tunawaona wanatesa tu na vijisenti walivyotuibia? What the heck is this.

 

[S. S. Phares]

Hizi stori za taratibu zimepitwa na wakati.
Kweli nyie watu hamjui kusoma ramani mnabakia kwenye politics za kupapasa papasa tuuu!
Reality hapa ni kwamba hakuna fisadi lisilojulikana sasa hivi...Na kama mpaka sasa hujui picha nzima...Then umelala ule usingizi wa kenya walipenda kusema...WALALA FOFOFO.

JMushi, usiongee kama vile hujui "Siasa ni mchezo wa aina gani" au Tanzania iko katika hali gani. Umejionea chaguzi zetu watu wanashinda Ubunge simply kwa kugawa khanga za Shs 2000 na sahani ya pilau ya Shs 500. Sasa hebu fikiria kundi la watu wenye dhamira mbaya na nchi wakiwa na Bilioni 250 mkononi mwao wanaweza kufanya nini?

Hiyo ndio mantiki yangu ya kusema JK aende nao kwa plan makini na sio kukurupuka. Sijalala fofofo, najua hali halisi on the ground.

Jiulize swali makini; Je ni kipi Watanzania wamefanya so far (kisiasa) kinachoonyesha dhahiri kuwa wana hasira ya dhati na haya yaliyotokea BoT??

 

[jmushi1]

JMushi, usiongee kama vile hujui "Siasa ni mchezo wa aina gani" au Tanzania iko katika hali gani. Umejionea chaguzi zetu watu wanashinda Ubunge simply kwa kugawa khanga za Shs 2000 na sahani ya pilau ya Shs 500. Sasa hebu fikiria kundi la watu wenye dhamira mbaya na nchi wakiwa na Bilioni 250 mkononi mwao wanaweza kufanya nini? Hiyo ndio mantiki yangu ya kusema JK aende nao kwa plan makini na sio kukurupuka.

Nakubaliana na wewe ila usisahau kuwa siasa zetu ziko very intertwined na za mataifa makubwa.

Hivi unajuwa ni kwanini mwalimu alisema ikulu si mahali pa kukimbilia?

Jiulizeni hayo maswali kwa kina na si juu juu! Kwani hata kama unamuenzi mwalimu na huku huelewi falsafa zake basi ni sawa tu na wale aliowakumbatia mwanzoni kwa kudhani kuwa wamemwelewa na kumbe wapi..Matendo yao yalikuwa kinyume.

Nilishawahi kusema kuwa urais wa Tanzania unahitaji msomi mwenye huruma...La sivyo ni mbaya...Kwasababu ebu fikiria Taifa kama la wachina ama wamarekani wakiamuwa kuzilinda familia chache hapo bongo na kuwakabidhi silaha na mapesa wao na watoto na washirika wa vyama vyao vya kisiasa...

Sema mmarekani amsadie chadema na JK abaki na china na Iran.

Halafu wanajimilikisha rasilimali za nchi...Tena unakuta na jina la KIAFRIKA HASWA HASWA...

Kama TANGOLD...Nafikiri labda walimaanisha Tanzania gold..Ama mwananchi Gold..Inakupa dhana kuwa ni goldi za wananchi...Lakini je ukichunguza kiundani share kubwa zimo mikononi mwa nani?

Je manufaa ya mwananchi ni yapi hayo?

Maana ndio naona chadema wanapigania sera za majimbo kwani kikatiba hazikubaliki lakini in reality zinaendelezwa..Kwani inasemekana migodi hiyo huwanufaisha wale wananchi wanaoishi maeneo hayo...Na wala si Taifa kwa ujumla.

Sasa sijui hata kama hilo nalo ni lakweli...Shida ni madharau na ubaguzi na unyanyasaji wa mweusi popote pale duniani...

LAKINI NASEMA...WAKATI WA AFRIKA NI HUU...NA TUKIIPITA BAHATI HII YA KUWA MOBILIZED...BASI TUMEKWISHA...Kwani zamani watu wenye mawazo kama yetu walikuwa magaidi...Mmesahau ya MANDELA KUTOLEWA KWENYE LISTI JUZI TU?

Pia nilishasema wazi..Sijui kama ulipata nafasi ya kusikiliza MKJJ juzi...Ila hata mwalimu mwenyewe aliponea kuuwawa kama kina Nkrumah na Lumumba kwasababu ya kujidai kuwachukia waarabu kwa kukilinda kisiwa cha ZENJI.
Hilo lilimsaidia sana kwani walishaona kuwa hata mwalimu akiondoka madarakani na bongo hapo wanaweza nao wakajiunga na Zenji tu kwani bongo kuna asilimia kubwa ya waarabu na waislam.

Hiyo ilikuwa krata yake na huku chini chini akiendelea na sera za kinyume na magharibi.

This time aroud hali ni tofauti sana na kama unafuatilia mijadala utajuwa.

 

[S. S. Phares]

Nakubaliana na wewe ila usisahau kuwa siasa zetu ziko very intertwined na za mataifa makubwa.

Hivi unajuwa ni kwanini mwalimu alisema ikulu si mahali pa kukimbilia?

Jiulizeni hayo maswali kwa kina na si juu juu! Kwani hata kama unamuenzi mwalimu na huku huelewi falsafa zake basi ni sawa tu na wale aliowakumbatia mwanzoni kwa kudhani kuwa wamemwelewa na kumbe wapi..Matendo yao yalikuwa kinyume.

Nilishawahi kusema kuwa urais wa Tanzania unahitaji msomi mwenye huruma...La sivyo ni mbaya...Kwasababu ebu fikiria Taifa kama la wachina ama wamarekani wakiamuwa kuzilinda familia chache hapo bongo na kuwakabidhi silaha na mapesa wao na watoto na washirika wa vyama vyao vya kisiasa...

Sema mmarekani amsadie chadema na JK abaki na china na Iran.

Halafu wanajimilikisha rasilimali za nchi...Tena unakuta na jina la KIAFRIKA HASWA HASWA...

Kama TANGOLD...Nafikiri labda walimaanisha Tanzania gold..Ama mwananchi Gold..Inakupa dhana kuwa ni goldi za wananchi...Lakini je ukichunguza kiundani share kubwa zimo mikononi mwa nani?

Je manufaa ya mwananchi ni yapi hayo?

Maana ndio naona chadema wanapigania sera za majimbo kwani kikatiba hazikubaliki lakini in reality zinaendelezwa..Kwani inasemekana migodi hiyo huwanufaisha wale wananchi wanaoishi maeneo hayo...Na wala si Taifa kwa ujumla.

Sasa sijui hata kama hilo nalo ni lakweli...Shida ni madharau na ubaguzi na unyanyasaji wa mweusi popote pale duniani...

LAKINI NASEMA...WAKATI WA AFRIKA NI HUU...NA TUKIIPITA BAHATI HII YA KUWA MOBILIZED...BASI TUMEKWISHA...Kwani zamani watu wenye mawazo kama yetu walikuwa magaidi...Mmesahau ya MANDELA KUTOLEWA KWENYE LISTI JUZI TU?

Pia nilishasema wazi..Sijui kama ulipata nafasi ya kusikiliza MKJJ juzi...Ila hata mwalimu mwenyewe aliponea kuuwawa kama kina Nkrumah na Lumumba kwasababu ya kujidai kuwachukia waarabu kwa kukilinda kisiwa cha ZENJI.
Hilo lilimsaidia sana kwani walishaona kuwa hata mwalimu akiondoka madarakani na bongo hapo wanaweza nao wakajiunga na Zenji tu kwani bongo kuna asilimia kubwa ya waarabu na waislam.

Hiyo ilikuwa krata yake na huku chini chini akiendelea na sera za kinyume na magharibi.

This time aroud hali ni tofauti sana na kama unafuatilia mijadala utajuwa.

Umeongelea mambo mengi nje ya hoja yangu ya msingi kusema kuwa JK aende kwa umakini mkubwa, ila naomba nipingane na wewe kuwa mpaka sasa dalili nyingi za kwamba hizi ni nyakati mpya bado hazijaonekana kwenye sanduku la kura.

Ni mpaka hilo litakapotoea ndipo wanasiasa watakuwa wanawaogopa wananchi na hawa mafisadi watakuwa nao tumbo joto kwani hawataweza tena kushinda Ubunge kwa kugawa khanga na pilau.

2007 & 2008 yametokea mengi lakini tukijiuliza iwapo Lowassa, Chenge, Msabaha na Karamagi wataweza kurudi tena bungeni 2010; kweli tunaweza kusema haiwezekani? Si tutatukuwa tunajidanganya?

 

[jmushi1]

Umeongelea mambo mengi nje ya hoja yangu ya msingi kusema kuwa JK aende kwa umakini mkubwa, ila naomba nipingane na wewe kuwa mpaka sasa dalili nyingi za kwamba hizi ni nyakati mpya bado hazijaonekana kwenye sanduku la kura.

Ni mpaka hilo litakapotoea ndipo wanasiasa watakuwa wanawaogopa wananchi na hawa mafisadi watakuwa nao tumbo joto kwani hawataweza tena kushinda Ubunge kwa kugawa khanga na pilau.

2007 & 2008 yametokea mengi lakini tukijiuliza iwapo Lowassa, Chenge, Msabaha na Karamagi wataweza kurudi tena bungeni 2010; kweli tunaweza kusema haiwezekani? Si tutatukuwa tunajidanganya?

Wewe ndio unachanganya mambo na conceptual skills zako zinatia mashaka na ama huna.

Huwezi kuzungumzia kina chenge kurudi bungeni kabla hawajasafishwa na mahakama..Una mawazo ya kifisadi kwasababu unafikiria kuwahonga wananchi kabla hatujajuwa kuhusu haki.

Viongozi wanaweza kuondolewa kwa kutumia ballot box ama mahakama.

Na kwa taarifa yako naona wewe ni mwanafunzi mtoro na ulimiss darasa la lobbying nililolileta hapa jf...!

Sasa ni wakati wa kuwapiga chini wabunge wenye maslahi kwenye makampuni yaliyopewa mikataba isivyo halali...Na mikataba ya kinyonyaji.

Nyie bakieni na vyama vyenu na mafisadi wenu kwasababu mko kwenye link tayari... huko uingereza mnatia aibu kwani mko out of touch na hata michango yenu hapa jf iko wazi.

Kumsapoti mbunge mwenye maslahi na makampuni ya kinyonyaji ni UHAINI.