Just part of the story from IPP(the Guardian)....
Overall, MPs from Chadema and NCCR- Mageuzi have identified themselves as anti- allowances campaigners but their crusade hit a snag in the House with legislators from the ruling party, and Chademas John Chibuda, actually urging for extra payment, and insisting the sitting allowances to stay intact.
The real picture is that an MP pockets Sh70,000 as sitting allowance everyday when Parliament is in session, which translates into Sh24,500,000 daily as Tanzanias parliament has a total of 350 legislators.
Imagine how much it costs the nation to pay the MPs during their present Budget Parliament session that lasts for 62 days. Every MP also pockets another Sh80,000 as per diem..
The per diems and sitting allowances are also paid to MPs whenever the Parliamentary Standing Committees convene in Dar es Salaam ahead of the Parliamentary sessions in Dodoma. The Parliamentary committees meet for over 40 days while the Parliament convenes for 80 days per year.
The MPs salary is Sh7.3 million out of which Sh1million is for Constituency while Sh2 million is for fuel, Sh2.3 million is pre-tax salary while Sh3 million is dished out for running the MPs office, including paying the driver.
Why legislators defend allowances
Minister Ghasia recently said in a TV interview that nearly all the MPs have signed agreements for Sh200 million-loan each, payable in five years, with CRDB Bank under the guarantee of the government.
According to the minister, all the allowances that some MPs wanted to be scrapped are included in the loan. She said almost the whole salary of an MP goes into servicing the debt, a factor that propels MPs to survive on allowances.
Ghasia described MPs calling for the abolition of sitting allowances as mere comedians since they were well aware that their allowances are included in the CRDB Bank loans they have taken.
Some CCM legislators are defending the extra-payments saying the money helps them meet certain financial requirements in the constituencies. But opposition MPs want allowances removed as a strategy to cut down government expenditure.
Overall, MPs from Chadema and NCCR- Mageuzi have identified themselves as anti- allowances campaigners but their crusade hit a snag in the House with legislators from the ruling party, and Chademas John Chibuda, actually urging for extra payment, and insisting the sitting allowances to stay intact.
The real picture is that an MP pockets Sh70,000 as sitting allowance everyday when Parliament is in session, which translates into Sh24,500,000 daily as Tanzanias parliament has a total of 350 legislators.
Imagine how much it costs the nation to pay the MPs during their present Budget Parliament session that lasts for 62 days. Every MP also pockets another Sh80,000 as per diem..
The per diems and sitting allowances are also paid to MPs whenever the Parliamentary Standing Committees convene in Dar es Salaam ahead of the Parliamentary sessions in Dodoma. The Parliamentary committees meet for over 40 days while the Parliament convenes for 80 days per year.
The MPs salary is Sh7.3 million out of which Sh1million is for Constituency while Sh2 million is for fuel, Sh2.3 million is pre-tax salary while Sh3 million is dished out for running the MPs office, including paying the driver.
Why legislators defend allowances
Minister Ghasia recently said in a TV interview that nearly all the MPs have signed agreements for Sh200 million-loan each, payable in five years, with CRDB Bank under the guarantee of the government.
According to the minister, all the allowances that some MPs wanted to be scrapped are included in the loan. She said almost the whole salary of an MP goes into servicing the debt, a factor that propels MPs to survive on allowances.
Ghasia described MPs calling for the abolition of sitting allowances as mere comedians since they were well aware that their allowances are included in the CRDB Bank loans they have taken.
Some CCM legislators are defending the extra-payments saying the money helps them meet certain financial requirements in the constituencies. But opposition MPs want allowances removed as a strategy to cut down government expenditure.