BungeNe ewsletter

Issue No 007 MAY 2013

Parliament for the last seven Weeks in Budgetary Session The 11th Parliamentary Session, which is the budget Members of Parliament have scrutined the Gov- session, is in its 7th week since it started on 9th April, ernment and made sure that national develop- 2013. Up to now 283 normal questions have been asked ment priorities are been considered in every min- and answered in the Parliament. Within this time istry as a way of fulfilling their constitutional about 420 supplementary questions were asked and mandate of representation, legislation and oversight. all of them received answers from the Government. The number of Members of Parliament who have According to the Parliamentary Standing Orders, contributed to the budget discussions per each min- every Thursday, it’s Prime Minister’s questions and istry up to now is as follows: The Office of Prime up to the end of May more than 20 questions had Minister [114 Contributors], President’s Office [17 been asked and answered by the Prime Minister. Contributions], Office of Vice President [6 Con- Despite of the normal Q&A session in the Parliament, tributors], Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Co- during this session, Parliament has also continued operative [45 Contributors], Ministry of Water discussing and approving ministries budget estimates [43 Contributors], Ministry of Natural resources for the financial year 2013/14. So far 28 ministries have and tourism [34 Contributors], Ministry of Jus- already presented their budget estimates in the House. tice and Constitutional affairs [7 Contributors].

After the change of the Budget Cycle to the current Others are the Ministry of Defense and Na- one, the entire exercise of discussing and approv- tional Service[9 Contributors],Ministry of ing the budget estimates has received a ernomous Home affairs[43 Contributors], Ministry of contributions from the Members of Parliament. health and social welfare[38 Contributors],

1 Ministry of Community Development, Gender and This success is built on the effectiveness of the new- children[9 Contributors]; Ministry of Infrastructure ly created Budget committee, which has been ad- [45 Contributors]; Ministry of Industry and Trade vising all Ministries on its budget in each sector. [8 Contributors]; Ministry of Transport [33 Con- tributors]; Information, Youth, Culture and Sport [30 The formation of this committee has been a suc- Contributors]; Energy and Minerals [24 Contribu- cess in effectiveness of the Parliament spe- tors]; East African Corporation [7 Contributors]; cifically in this budget session as the parlia- Despite approving the above-mentioned Minis- ment has been advising the Government well. tries budget, the Parliament has done its role of advising the Government and asked some Min- istry to review their Ministrial Budgets they serve before tabled for approval in the House. Women MPs want more skills to table Private Member’s Bills and Motions

Chairperson of the TWPG Hon. Anna Abdallah gesturing to the Women Mps while she was opening a one day workshop on how to table Private members motions and Bill. Right is the secretary of TWGP Hon. Angela Kairuki and sitting left is the Deputy Chair Hon. Dr. Mary Mwanjelwa

Association of Women MPs in the Parliament of Opening the seminar, the Chairperson of the (Tanzania Women Parliamentarian Group TWPG Hon. Anna Abdallah (Mp) asked all its - TWPG) this month conducted a one-day semi- MPs regardless of their political-party affiliation nar for all Women Parliamentarians aiming at im- to effectively engage with the Office of the -Par proving their comprehensive understanding on liamentary Legal Adviser on how to prepare and the best form of self-presentation and tabling of table the Private Member’s Bills and Motions. Private Members Bills and Motions in Parliament. Hon. Abdallah added that, Women Parliamentar- The seminar was one of the capacity building organ- ians are responsible in solving problems facing ized by TWGP aiming at improving Women Mps in the peoples in the country, especially those affect- order to effectively engage themselves in legislative ing women and children, by engaging on bringing process with competent ideas that reflect people’s lives. more bills and motions in the house that focus to

2 tackle their problems. Furthermore it is the effective Parliament formed Special Committee way of putting the Government accountable to Wa- to defuse Mtwara Gas Crisis nanchi represented by Mps in the House. She added

“Honorable Members, this is my eighth term in the House, there is still little awareness for many women Mps on how to table Private Members Bills and Mo- tions in the Parliament. I believe if we take advantage of this kind of awareness seminars, they will help us very much to effectively draft good and convincing Private Bills and Motions that focus on resolving peo- ple’s problems while they meet all the Standing Or- ders demands at the same time. She said Hon. Anna Abdallah Said to the TWGP at the Msekwa Hall. During the discussion, many Women MPs asked TWGP leadership to organize such kind of seminars regularly as they will impart more Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. announcing understanding to Women MPs in the House. names of the Mps who will form the Special Parliamentary Committee that will work to find out the cause of Mtwara Crisis “This might be in practice so that education al- ways takes place for the purpose of reminding us The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. with house procedures and even legal requirements Anne Makinda has announced a Special Com- that are needed when on tabling the motion or the mittee with thirteen members select to probe Bill in the House. This will make us more compe- dispute-surrounding construction of a natu- tence and able to compete with Men MPs while ral gas pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam. Legislating. We have a lot of issues that we need to present in the House, but sometime we lack tech- The dispute caused riots in Mtwara this month and nical inputs on how to table them. As a result escalated on the day the Ministry of Energy and Min- many of us are no more vibrant in the House”. Said erals was tabling its Ministerial Budget estimates. one of the MP while contributing to the Seminar. The Speaker formed the Committee after the Gov- The Members agreed that they have to fulfill their ernment had issued its statement in the house, the mandates of representing people effectively as the Parliamentary Steering Committee met and decid- voice of wananchi by bringing into Parliament issues ed that a Special committee to be formed and lis- which need immediate solution from the Government. ten to residents of Mtwara over their skepticism in the government’s plan to construct the gas pipeline. “Parliament is the place where laws are made and where people put the Government accountable, we Hon. Makinda noted that in a calm environment the have to make sure that we do not leave that job to committee will tour Mtwara and meet various groups. Male MPs only, we are the Women in the Parlia- She urged residents to remain calm and give utmost ment and we represent hundreds of Women and cooperation and speak freely on their grievances. Children of this country whose voices must be heard in the House through us. So we have to en- “I call upon residents of Mtwara to cooperate to be sure that we raise the people’s voices while we are in open and free to speak their minds without fear. The the Parliament by bringing in their problems to be committee will have sufficient time to meet resi- solved.” Said Hon. Anne Kilango Malecela (MP). dents, groups, organisations and leaders,” she said.

The workshop consisted of three topics namely The Speaker announced the names of the how to bring in a Private-Member Motion, Pri- Members of that Commitee shortly af- vate Members Bill and the Procedure to table ter the house approved the Ministry of En- the Government Bills in the House. The present- ergy and Minerals 2013/14 budget estimates. ers came from the Office of the National Assembly

3 She said the committee will be guided by four- Budget Committee shows it relevance clause terms of reference which includes prob- ing the source of chaos, make a follow up on various steps taken by the government, meeting stakeholders and get their views on gas projects and look at any other issues related to the mayhem.

The team will be under the chairmanship of Hon. (CCM). Other members are Hon. Said Arfi (CHADEMA), Hon. Dalaly Kaf- umu (CCM), Hon. (CCM), Hon. Cynthia Ngoye (CCM), Hon. Hamad Rashid Mo- hamed (CUF), Hon. (CCM) and Hon. Muhammad Amour Chomboh (CCM). The newly formed Parliamentary Budget Com- Others in the team are Hon. Cecilia Paresso (CHADE- mittee has been showing its significance by effec- MA), Hon. Rukia Kassim Ahmed (CUF), Hon. tively advising the Government to prioritize is- Mariam Kisangi (CCM), Hon. Agripina Buyogela sues of National Interest in each Ministerial Budget (NCCR-Mageuzi) and Hon. (CCM) . during the ongoing Budget session in Dodoma.

The Committee appears to be assert- ing its role by querying discrepancies on each Ministerial Budget between the policy and the final budget in the house for approval.

Since the start of the Budget session in Dodoma, the Budget Committee has been meeting with vari- ous Ministries and Parliamentary sectorial Com- mittee to discuss and advice them on disburse- ments of funds to each Ministry’s budget estimates.

The Committee has advices each Ministry to allo- Minister for Ernegy and Minerals Hon. Prof. Sospeter cate more funds to developmental projects, which are Muhongo dispalying some of the Ministerial Documents the main interest of the country’s development plan. containing Ministerial Plan for Gas and Energy in the House The committee is expected to table the re- Basing on the ministerial report for the finacial year port within two weeks. It will then be debated 2012/13, the Budget Committee was able to look in the ongoing session and the recommenda- on the Government Efficiency on the implementa- tions passed on to the Government for action. tion and uses of taxpayer’s money through the pro- Residents of Mtwara have been resisting the jects which are executed based on value for money. construction of a pipeline to transport gas Parliament is supposed to play an oversight role to Dar es Salaam for electricity generation. over the budgetary process to ensure that the nation’s priorities are adequately catered for. The 532km pipeline, to be built at a cost of $1.225 billion, will transport the gas to the city to pro- After years of Parliament without this Commit- duce 2,780MW of electricity. It is a joint project tees in the budget process, now MPs are agitated for between China Petroleum and Technology Devel- a more active role and as a result they have formed opment Company (CPTDC), a unit of China Na- this Budget Committee which is more transparency tional Petroleum Corp (CNPC), and the Tanzania and very cooperative around the budgetary process. Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC).

4 NEWS IN PICTURE

Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Anne The Parish priest of the Olasite parish Rev. Father Makinda giving worlds of consolation to the Arch . Pedy Kasterino escorting the Speaker of the National Bishop Josephat Lebulu of the Arusha Arch-Diocese Assembly Hon. Anne Makinda and her delegation when she led a delegation of 25 MPs to visit the to see the damage of the Bombing victims of the Olasite Church Bombing this Month. of the Olastite Church in Arusha

South Kigoma Mp. Hon. David Kafulila making contribution during the Climate Change Irish Ambasador to Tanzania Serminar in Dodoma this Month. The Serminar Hon. Fionnuala Gilsenan paying a courtesy was organised by the Parliament in collaboration call to the speaker of the National Assembly with UNDP under the Legislative Support Hon. Anne Makinda in Dodoma this Month Project as capacity building to Mps and Staff

5 Bunge Principal Information Officer died in Malaysia

Once again the Office of National Assembly has suf- Due to his dedicated endeavor, in 2004 Mr. Er- fered a great loss of its member of staff the late Ernest nest Zulu was promoted to Principal Information Xavier Zulu. The diseased who was born on July 10th Officer, the position he held till he passed away. 1957 in Songea region at Maposeni – Ndilima village passed away on May 23rd, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Eager to learn more and despite of his grown age, in Malaysia after he had suffered from brain trauma fol- July 2010 Mr. Zulu joined the Taylor University in Kua- lowed by head surgery towards the end of the year 2012. la Lumpur, Malaysia to pursue the Bachelor Degree in Media Communication and Administration, the The late Zulu joined Bunge in 1997 after he had course which was due to an end come November 2013. worked with the then Tanzania Broadcasting Cor- poration since 1976 to 1983 as an Assistant News The above story speaks for itself as for how our be- Writer, The Uhuru/ Mzalendo Senior Correspond- loved Zulu cherished education and went after it. ent in 1985 to 1990, The Express Newspaper Sub Let it be a legacy and inspiration to young, old and – editor in 1991 to 1994 and the Voice of Germa- to all of us who knew and worked with the late Er- ny (Doche Welle) Senior Correspondent in 1995 nest Zulu. To many he was referred to as a Teacher…

The diseased studied at Mpera Primary School in The Office of the National Assembly in collabo- Kahama from 1966 to 1970. For the Ordinary level ration with the Embassy of Tanzania in Malay- studies, the late Zulu went at Bagamoyo Second- sia worked diligently to bring back to the cou ary School from the year 1971 to 1974 culminating try the remains of the body of Mr. Ernest Zulu. with Diploma in Journalism from the then Tan- zania School of Journalism (TSJ) in 1975 to 1976. The Commissioner and the Mafia Island Member of Parliament who represented the Speaker of the Na- In his quest to quench academic thirst, in tional Assembly Hon. Abdul Karim Shah together 1986 to 1987 the diseased attended Interna- with the Clerk of the National Assembly Dr. Thomas tional Journalism studies in Moscow, Russia. Kashilliah led the Bunge Staff in receiving the body and arranging funeral ceremony which took place in Son- Survived with a widow and four children the late Zulu gea at Maposeni-Ndilima village on May 31st, 2013. in 1997 joined Bunge as a Civic Education Consultant and in 1998 Mr. Zulu was fully employed by Office of National Assembly as a Senior Information Officer.

The Potrait of the late Ernest Zullu The Widow Mrs Theresia Zullu (Right) morning her husband

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