The Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT) has said municipal councils are likely to suffer economic hardships following the removal of subsidies, which will largely affect service delivery.
Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, ALAT chairman Dr Didas Masaburi said the cancellation of subsidy funds from the central government would cause municipal councils fail to implement development projects.
Dr Masaburi also announced the postponement of an extra ordinary general assembly scheduled for tomorrow to discuss the government’s decision to remove the subsidy funds in this financial year.
Dr Masaburi, who is also Dar es Salaam mayor, said a number of municipal councils had been running their development activities from own sources and if that continued the municipal councils were likely to fail to deliver services to members of the public.
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| ALAT National Chairperson Dr. Didas Masaburi |
He noted also that most projects implemented at municipal level would fail to contribute to national income due the removed subsidy funds.
According to him, also municipal councils will fail to hold meetings and may cause them to enter into fake contracts due to lack of funds to hold consultative meetings.
“We expected to hold a meeting on Tuesday (tomorrow) to discuss this issue but we have cancelled it because the timetable of the prime minister on that day will be tight so we have postponed it until further notice,” he said.
Responding to reporters’ questions, Dr Masaburi refuted rumours that ward councils planned to protest against the government’s removal of subsidy funds, which he said was not true.
He said it was misleading information spread by few people to destroy the association, adding that ALAT was still discussing with the government on the removal of the subsidies. “We don’t have any plan to organise such a thing. There is no truth in this,” Dr Masaburi said.
He noted that ALAT was mandated to be a representative body of local government authorities in respect of their rights and interests at national and international bodies as well as engage advocacy and lobbying to influence policy change and not to enter into conflict with the government.
The extra general meeting was expected to bring together 133 chairperson mayors in urban district councils in Tanzania (mainland), 133 council directors and Members of Parliament, one from each of the 21 regions.
Either the assembly was expected to be attended by representatives from government ministries, department and agencies, association institutions of the local government, representatives of embassies and development partners.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
