December 2012

12:36:00 AM
The Tanzanian government of has been told to reduce burden on workers and instead ensure the tax net covers more members of the business community and investors across the country. It has been established.
Speaking to reporters in a news conference in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday this week Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) President Omary Jumaa said workers have been contributing 46 percent of the national income while traders and investors contribute only 24 percent.
 Jumaa revealed when briefing the media on resolutions reached by TUCTA’s Executive Committee in its meeting held between December 13 and 14 this year in Morogoro.
TUCTA President said that the government has been concentrating on the Pay As You Earn (P.A.Y.E) tax as the major source of its income leaving out investors and big businessmen who make huge profits in the country but pay very little tax or none at all.
He said there are some workers whose P.A.Y.E is up to 1m/- just because they are in the system and cannot avoid paying.
The TUCTA president asked the government to intensify measures to curb revenues losses occasioned by traders and investors and relieve the workers from bearing the most burden.
“Workers are exploited through paying large amounts of taxes while others are leading luxurious lives and enjoying the country’s resources…the government should take actions to reduce this burden to the extent where workers should pay a single digit percentage of their earnings as tax,” he said. 
The TUCTA boss added that the committee has discovered that the working environment in the country is still not satisfactory citing difficult situations in most work places which are yet to be addressed.
He noted that currently most workers survive on 3000/- to 4000/- per day. These are those who are paid 70,000/- to 100,000/- per month. This group comprises the large number of workers who are in private sector.
Jumaa also touched on the public sector where a civil servant is paid 5,700/- per day which equals the gross salary of 170,000/- per month which could not even satisfy the daily needs of the worker.
He acknowledged the shortage of employment opportunities in the country, proposing the improvement and concentration of vocational training colleges as a solution to the problem because many youth shall get various technical trainings which will enable them employ themselves.
 
Furthermore, TUCTA has asked the government to factor a 100 per cent salary increase in its budget, while reducing workers’ income tax to 11 per cent of their salaries for the financial year of 2013/2014 in a bid to improve workers living standards.
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12:34:00 AM
Few years ago, the government introduced Kilimo Kwanza to improve agricultural production which engages 80 percent of the 45 million populations.  Many plans were made including availability and timely distribution of inputs such as fertilizer. In this article, our reporter Mwiga Mtavya looks at several input-related challenges facing small holder farmers in Mvomero and Kilosa districts in Morogoro region. Read on….
 
In a bid to bring about green revolution and increase production, the government introduced Kilimo kwanza initiative. Many plans were laid down by the government on the drive including adequately and timely distribution of agricultural inputs on grounds that when these are met, the skyrocketing inflation rate and food insecurity would be a history in the country.
 
The distribution of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers were must for the drive, however,  the exercise was, and continue to be marred by several hitches including high prices, untimely and inadequate distribution of fertilizers, poor and counterfeit inputs as well as inability by the agriculture input’s agents to adequately supply them and reach the farmers on time.
 
A recent investigation conducted in Mvomero district, Morogoro region, revealed that the inputs for maize and rice were sold at very high prices, prompting farmers’ especially small holder farmers to cultivate and grow their crops without some inputs.
In separate interviews, the farmers said that lack of inputs have affected their production mainly in maize and rice crops.
 
Nuru Saidi, one of the Dakawa rice irrigation scheme small producers, said that the farm cannot yield desired fruits because of lack of inputs.
 
“There are no inputs, and even if they come, they are very expensive for poor farmers like me to afford. That’s why you find that in most cases the farmers opt to grow without using the fertilizers” she said.
She said 50 kg of subsidized fertilizer   was sold at Tsh.65,000 shillings adding that despite the skyrocketing prices, the fertilizer usually reach them very late.
 
At Kilosa district, the farmers have same feelings and experiences. Most of them complained that the government’s subsidized fertilizers could not help them because they were poor to afford the high prices.
They said normally the agricultural input’s agents tend to lure some poor farmers by asking them to fill in the forms but they never give them the fertilizers.
 
“Because the voucher system is not well coordinated and supervised, the government is loosing a lot of money because despite being inefficient, it ends up benefiting the agents instead of small holder farmers” said Tatu Msuya, a small holder farmer in Kilosa district.
For his part, the Executive Officer for Dakawa village, Ali Yusuph Kibeku said that his village has a total of 3400 villagers but in the past agricultural season that started from January 2012, farmers who were able to get the vouchers were only 1900. 
 
However, he said, even those who received the fertilizers, they could not use them on time because they arrived late, prompting most of them to plant without fertilizers.
“With this system, the farmers will never get more yields. I  advise the government to increase its budget in agriculture especially on input supplies so that it can contribute significantly to the economy of the nation” he said.
 
Reached for comments, the acting Agriculture, Irrigation and Cooperation in Kilosa district, Kathbeth Milaho, said the farmers are not effectively and efficiently producing because of low knowledge on the use of the inputs.
He said that usually many of them opt to farm without fertilizers on grounds that their farm lands still have fertility.
 
However, he admitted on the delayed fertilizer, better seeds, and chemicals saying they were minor hitches that the government was working on.
“There is a problem of low purchasing income among small famers which limits them from purchasing the inputs. I can also tell you that some agricultural input’s agents have no adequate capital and expertise as such, they are incapable of running the exercise” he said.
 
He said low expertise and inability of the agents to supply the inputs on time have also contributed to difficulties in the fight against counterfeit inputs and farm weeds.
For her part, the Mvomero District Executive Director Sara Linuma said that inability of the agents to adequately supply the inputs on time was a major challenge as it derailed agriculture which employs a good number of people in the district.
 
“These agents have failed even to open shops for the distribution of the inputs near farmers locations. If they did so, it would have helped most farmers to get the inputs on time”.
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12:32:00 AM
Waziri wa uchukuzi Dkt. Harrison Mwakyembe ametangaza kusimamishwa kazi kwa Wakurugenzi wengine 16 katika mamlaka ya Bandari Tanzania -- TPA -- kutokana na tuhuma mbalimbali ikiwemo matumizi mabaya ya madaraka.

Hadi kufikia sasa, jumla ya Wakurugenzi waliosimamishwa kazi TPA inafikia ishirini na watatu.

Bofya kifute cha pleya kusikiliza taarifa hiyo na nyingine zilizosomwa saa mbili usiku wa leo, TBC Taifa.
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Mfanyakazi wa Mamlaka ya Bandari (TPA) kitengo cha utekelezaji, aAbushir Mambo akitoa malalamiko yake kwa Waziri wa Uchukuzi, Dk Harrison Mwakyembe alipokutana na uongozi na wafanyakazi wa TPA ili kuzungumzia mambo mbalimbali ikiwa ni pamoja na kutambulisha bodi mpya jijini Dar es Salaam. (Picha: Rafael Lubava/MWANANCHI)
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Waziri wa Uchukuzi, Dk Harrison Mwakyembe akizungumza na wafanyakazi wa Mamlaka ya Bandari (TPA) akipokuwa alipokwetanda kwa ajili ya mambo mbalimbali ikiwa ni pamoja na kuitambulisha Bodi mpya jijini Dar es Salaam. Kulia ni Makamu Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa TPA, Madeni Kipande. (Picha: Rafael Lubava/MWANANCHI)
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Wafanyakazi wa Mamlaka ya Bandari (TPA) wakifuatilia mkutano wakati Waziri wa Uchukuzi, Dk Harrison Mwakyembe alipokutana na uongozi na wafanyakazi wa TPA ili kuzungumzia mambo mbalimbali ikiwa ni pamoja na kutambulisha bodi mpya jijini Dar es Salaam jana. (Picha: Rafael Lubava/MWANANCHI)
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12:30:00 AM
A major progress has been made on the fight against communicable diseases from animals to human being such as the rift valley and Ebola, which in recent years have posed threats in some parts of the SADC and East African region.
 
This was said in Morogoro region by researchers and scientists from Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa and UK, who are meeting in the region to strategize scientific ways of preventing the diseases from animals to human being and vice versa.
 
Citing an example of lift valley disease, a lecturer of Sokoine University of agriculture, Gerald Msinzo said that researchers were working on several samples from animals, testing them in laboratories so that the results would be used to establish practical solutions for the diseases.
 
For his part, a researcher, Jo Lines of UK, explained that so far significant progress has been made in malaria which is one of the area of research.
 
He said that other diseases such as Ebola were also been worked on, and that he was optimistic that the research findings would bear desired fruits.
 
Dalie Wesseles, a researcher from South Africa was on the view that there was a need to train focal points in different parts of the region and set up guiding principles on how best they can deal with the diseases.
Livestock constitutes an important natural resource of the Southern African Region, with over 60 percent of the region’s total land area suitable for livestock farming.
Although the livestock sector offers the region a unique opportunity for accelerated economic growth in the region, in some areas, diversification and increased poor animal disease control and husbandry, are turning the opportunities into threats.
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12:27:00 AM
AFRICAN civil societies have been warned not to leave the issue of tax administration in the hands of the governments alone; instead they should form parallel institutions to monitor the same.
This call was made recently in Dar es Salaam during an International Training in Tax Administration.
The training to representatives of civil societies drew attendants being trainers and other participants from East Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa.
In the workshop that was convened by the Policy Forum NGO. It was learnt that tax collection is turned into a political weapon by many African countries Tanzania inclusive.
It was learnt that the political oligarchy tend to muzzle through tax collection the commercial people who are contrally to their tastes and they tend to give offers in various forms like havens, holidays, and exemptions those in their favour.
But this nasty game which has long term calculated moves to evade tax involves the multinational companies no wonder there are changes of names and ownership in some big companies in order to evade capital gain tax.
For instance in Tanzania there have been such changes with Serena Hotel which previously had various names from Sheraton, to Royal Palm, Moven Pick and now Serena.
In mobile phone companies there have been changes of names with Celtel, Zain and now Airtel just like it was with Mobitel, Buzz and now Tigo.
It was with such changes that the civil society and investigative journalists were counseled to investigate the motives behind such changes.
During his opening remarks the Policy Forum (PF) Coordinator Semkae Kilonzo said that tax administration has caused a lot of problems in African countries.
This is due to evasions which are manipulated through various corrupt means. He delineated that a lot of revenues are left untapped and therefore denying people adequate services.
“If taxes are not collected properly it means some of the Government’s revenues are left outside and hence denying the people income through services which are essential,” he commented.
He added that it was the duty of the civil society to ensure that reports are published and there is transparency on who should to pay what.
“The tax regime is poor in Tanzania and many other African countries because the whole issue has been left to the civil servants hence corruption and capital fight out of Africa have become common phenomenon,” he added.
Jack Ranguma a tax expert from Kenya said that he has conducted a lot of researches just to find that proper collection of taxes can be effective if various community groups are involved in the monitoring programmes.
Ranguma who is former Commissioner of Kenya Revenue Authority is currently working as a consultant with the Kenyan Tax Research Institute.
He mentioned such groups as parliamentary groups, villagers, and distribution functionaries with the aim of ensuring that there is justice in tax administration and that there is enough capacity building in order to create awareness. 
“If people are reluctant to pay tax then it means that they do not see the direct benefit of paying taxes to their government and this is a reflection that either tax rates are too high, or the tax authorities are weak,” he commented.
Ranguma said that the main problem with developing countries like Tanzania is the fact that they give priority to the expenditure side than to the income generation one.
He challenged that this trend eventually deprives some important projects like hospitals, schools, infrastructures and hence leading to the vicious cycle of poverty.
He further explained that once there is proper collection of taxes there will be stable economy of a country. He warned that without this stability the rich tend to manipulate the economy much to their advantage.
“I am convinced that Africa, and other poor countries need to discuss with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) more seriously, and constructively for both sides,” he commented.
The tax expert also argued that the failure to monitor social security funds and pensions which are other forms of tax, denies the weaker equity while at the same time these are more beneficial to the high ranking officials.
“Even social security fund is a tax but in a different name, that is why there are a lot of political involvements in these funds. These are meant for re-investment while other employees pay for the retirees,” he added.
Vituz Azeem who presented a paper on the link between tax justice and development said that tax is meant to support development, and if there is poor collection of the same this will be reflected in the national budget.
He warned that many African countries fall prey of corrupt officials in the customs and excises to the extent that big amounts are pocketed to their personal accounts than to the governments.
“Tax administration needs a lot of ethics, if you are working with the tax authority you need to declare your property, also these workers need to report their properties periodically,” he cautioned.
On the issue of tax leakages was Savior Mwambwa who presented a paper on the role of multinationals in tax exemptions, competition, and capital flight.
He said that exemptions are always issued in the pretext of attracting more foreign direct investments, reducing poverty and creation of jobs as well as to allow big growth of the economy.
But in many cases these exemptions are issued through ill motives. However he warned that a good number of such exemptions in various names be it haven, holidays etc, are doing harm to Africa economies than good.
“In many cases tax exemptions is just a creation of a room for corruption, there is a need to create independent body for scrutiny and independent prosecutors who can handle the matters in the court,” he counseled.
Dereje Alemayehu presented a paper on how to mobilize domestic resources in order to avoid dependency. He counseled that citizens must be induced to like payment of tax because in many cases a good number of people do not like payment of such.
“If citizens realize that there is a value for their money they will just be attracted to pay without any kind of harassments or intimidations,” he commented.
Alemayehu mentioned that there are four measures to make people tax willingly; to make state income transparent, to make equity in the provision of services, and minimize the externalization of costs.
Another method is to give voice to the citizenry in regard to public expenditures, on how incomes are generated and spent.
On his side Michael Otieno from the Kenya’s National Taxpayers Association (NTA) said that there is a need for the civil society to institutionalize mechanisms of verifying how tax is collected and spent in a country.
He counseled that through civil society advocacy people must understand that paying tax is amoral obligation and duty which has benefit to their lives.
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11:42:00 PM
Tanzania is facing the increasing challenge on human trafficking and influx of illegal immigrants, as this week on Monday the Guardian newspaper from London reports that Malawi children are being trafficked into Tanzania to work as forced labour or in the sex trade.
 
The report said that Malawi children are falling victim to human traffickers in Tanzania due to economic hardships which includes income poverty, jobless, poor working condition and extremely poverty into their motherland.
 
The report from the Guardian added that Walusungu Msondo a 10 years boy was first approached by traffickers while he was fishing at Lake Malawi .
 
"The foreigners were being directed by two local people who could show them where they could find young fishermen. When they found me and my colleagues at the lake, they coaxed us with some money and told us that they had well-paying jobs for us in Tanzania ," saysWalusungu.
 
The boy and his friends thought their poverty-stricken lives were about to change for the better, but instead it was the beginning of a nightmare. Walusungu lives in Ngala, in Karonga district, on Malawi 's border with Tanzania , from where the men had travelled in search of vulnerable children.
 
They said the children would earn good money if they came to fish at Lake Rukwa and Lake Tanganyika, both in Tanzania .
 
The men explained the arrangements for the trip, but when they instructed the youngsters not to tell their parents, some of Walusungu's friends changed their minds.
 
He decided to go because he thought he could earn good money. They were joined by others who had been recruited by traffickers operating in the Chilumba area, about 35km south of Ngala.
 
They were ferried across the Songwe river into Tanzania , and taken to Lake Rukwa , which is surrounded by thick forest. It was here that Walusungu realised he had been lied to.
 
There were many other children, some speaking different languages, and the traffickers told Walusungu he had to work nine hours a day catching fish. He was promised only USD88 for around 12 months' work.
 
He asked to leave but the traffickers would not allow it. Fishing on the lake can be dangerous, and Msondo says he saw children being eaten by crocodiles, including one of his friends.
 
Local community leaders say some Malawians are collaborating with Tanzanian traffickers and luring young children over the border. Mwirang'ombe, a community leader in Ngala, says he was "deeply shocked".
 
 "We have already lost a young man who was caught by a crocodile at Lake Rukwa ," he says, adding that he had reported the crime to the government but nothing had been done. "[The] government must do something because human trafficking is illegal."
 
His views are backed by Habiba Osman, one of the country's top human rights lawyers, who works with the Ecumenical Council of Malawi. She says a lack of a legislation on human trafficking is contributing to the increased prevalence of the crime.
 
"We don't have a human trafficking law in place, so this makes it difficult for the government to actively trace such cases … it's high time we put pressure on our lawmakers to put a human trafficking law in place so that we can address this," she says.
 
Osman says many children from Malawi are also taken to other neighbouring countries, such as Zambia , Mozambique and South Africa , where they are forced into the sex trade and/or domestic slavery.
 
Chief Wasambo of the Chilumba police says he knows unemployed young people are being coaxed over the border by Tanzanians. "Most youths are going there due to lack of activities [here] to earn them a living," he says. "The provision of business loans and creation of temporary jobs can positively contribute towards the fight against human trafficking here."
 
However, Haston Jaji, from the ministry of gender and welfare at Karonga district welfare office, says that although there have been confirmed reports of human trafficking, the number of cases had reduced due to government awareness campaigns.
 
The campaigns came too late for Chaston Mwafuliwa and Emot Msuku from Karonga district, who ended up fishing at Lake Rukwa along with Walusungu. They too saw people being killed by wild animals and crocodiles, and say others died of cholera due to poor sanitation.
 
 They say people had no access to clean water and there was little food.
"There were a lot of problems we were going through at the lake, apart from being financially exploited," says Emot. "Hunger was a big problem. We were sleeping in trees for fear of being caught by wild animals – they were plenty of them."
 
The boys, including Walusungu, were stranded there for 10 months, and the traffickers refused to pay them. Finally, one of the men drove them to the Songwe border, where he abandoned them. They made it back into Malawi , but Emot says many Malawian children are still in Tanzania .
 
"I can't go back to school," says Walusungu, "because this [fishing] is my bread and butter, though I am aware that my education is a milestone to a very successful life."
 Media reports on Wednesday said 45 illegal immigrants, believed of Somali and Ethiopian origin, died from suffocation in a truck in central Tanzania while on their way from Kenya to Malawi .
 
Speaking to Mirror Digest in an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam recently the former Tanzanian Media Women Association (TAMWA) Executive Director Ananilea Nkya said that the influx of illegal immigrants is a huge challenge to the government and the society and concerted efforts were needed to fight the rampant problem in the country and Africa at large.
 
“Economic hardship always forced young men and women to go to exile to find a better employment and green pastures to earn their livelihood,” she said.
 
She said that although its illegal to traffic children under 18 years to work or other related activities but this have been common phenomenal into Tanzania due to poverty and lack of life skills inside and outside the country.
 
Nkya added that the problems that young men and women face in Tanzania it is almost common to other neighboring countries such as Malawi because respective government cannot address the common man problems effectively.
 
She said that in Tanzania are increasing economic hardships have been fuelled by unscrupulously leaders who cannot distribute the cake of the country to majority of people in the country which have forced many people including children into poverty.
 
Nkya further said that the problem of illegal immigrants is between the Police force and the society to prohibit illegal immigrants because it’s a transboundary issues.
 
On his part the private advocate Yuda Tadei based in the city centre said that the problem here in Tanzania is to implement the abiding laws that protect children from all different kinds of crimes include commercial sex workers.
 
He said that the Law of the child act of 2009 protect children with the all kinds of evil from the society or community but the main problem it’s for those who were given authority to implement the abide laws that protect children in Tanzania .
 
“We have the goods written laws in the mainland but the main obstacle is to implement those acts effectively to serve the interest of the public and the country at large,” he said.
 
Tadei added that corruption is another bottleneck to the government officials who were given a mandate to implement the given laws in the mainland.
 
He cited an example of the recently deaths of the illegal immigrants from Ethiopia who were found dumped in the forest, he cautioned on whether the authority from various entry or check points could not prevent the massacre?
 
Efforts to find Director of Immigration Department or any other officials found futile as the landline phones went unanswered which was same apply to the Minister of Home Affairs Emmanuel Nchimbi.
 
But the Minister for Women, Gender and Children Development Sophia Simba told this reporter that she was in the meeting with the Liberian President Ellen Sir leaf which she can’t comment anything.
 
Last year the US state department published a report that named Malawi as a source country for men, women and children to be trafficked for forced labour and sex.
 
The authors said the Malawi government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but was making significant efforts to do so.
 
In October 2009, the UK 's Department for International Development (DfID) allocated £18,000 to an anti-trafficking project to protect children at risk in Malawi but the scheme ended in March 2010. Today, there are fears the problem is escalating.
 
Over a hundred illegal Ethiopian immigrants were found dumped in a forest in the central part of Tanzania on Tuesday, apparently abandoned by the one transporting them.
 
At least 43 of the lot were found dead, 72 alive but in life-threatening condition and only 11 in reasonably good health – and now at large.
 
Global Detention Project reports that Tanzania has been host to one of the largest refugee populations in Africa and is an important transit country for migrants heading to South Africa .
 
UNHCR meanwhile says conflicts compounded by famine in the Great Lakes region dramatically increased the number of refugees in Tanzania from 292,100 in 1992 to 883,300 in 1994, only to drop to just over 100,000 by January 2011. That was after the government took measures to deport illegal aliens.
 
However, Tanzania had recorded a decrease of 19 per cent in serious crime from January to December last year, compared to 2010 when the percentage was higher.
 
Tanzania has recorded at least 114 cases of illegal immigration and human trafficking from January to March, 2012.
 
Most of the illegal immigrants were from Somalia , Ethiopia , Sudan and Pakistan , he said.
According to IGP Mwema, a big number of illegal immigrants were caught on their way to South Africa to seek greener pasture.
 
A random survey conducted by this paper has found majority of commercial sex workers in the city centre from Buguruni popular bar sewa, Kibonga and Manzese Rambo found young girls between 13 to 16 conducting business with 4,000 to 6,000 price to customers hence majority of these girls are from Mtwara, Lindi, Mbeya and Tunduma.
 
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2:06:00 AM
Lol wenzetu ndio maana wanapata mafanikio, timu ya Manchester United mara baada ya ushindi wake wa mabao  3-1 dhidi ya Sunderland wachezaji wake walijumuika kwenye sherehe ya kujiandaaa na Christmas maarufu kama Christmass Bash katika klabu ya usiku inayomilikiwa na mchezaji mwenzao Rio Ferdinand almaarufu kwa jina la Rosso iliyoko jijini Manchester.

Rio Ferdinand
Mchezaji wa Manchester Uinted , Rio Ferdinand akiwasili kujiunga na wenzake katika klabu anayomiliki ya "Rosso Restaurant" jijini Manchester.


Ryan Gigg

Kama mjini Manchester. Tofauti na christmas bash nyingine zilizopita mwaka huu hakukuwa na wageni waalikwa has wakinadada na hii inatokana na kufanya vibaya kwa timu hiyo katika michezi yake ya msimu uliopita katika mwezi huu wa sikukuu za christmass uliopelekea na timu kupoteza taji walilokuwa wanashikilia kwa kipindi hicho kwa mahasimu wao wakubwa timu ya Machester City.

Robin Van Persie
Mchezaji aliyesajiliwa msimu huu akitokea Arsenal, Robin Van Persie akiwasili kwenye utamaduni mpya wa Chrsitmas Bash.




Nemanja Vidic
Nahodha wa Manchester United, Nemanja Vidic akiwasili anye kwenye ukumbi wa Rosso

















































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11:29:00 PM

Kamanda wa Polisi Mkoa wa Iringa, Michael Kamuhanda (Kushoto) akizungumza na Waandishi wa habari alipokuwa akiwaonesha meno ya Tembo yaliyokamatwa juzi Mkoani humo. (Picha : Geofey Nyang'oro/Mwananchi)

KWA mara nyingine katika muda usiozidi wiki tatu, watu watatu wametiwa mbaroni kwa kosa la kusafirisha pembe 78 za ndovu kutoka wilayani Masasi, mkoani Mtwara. Tunaambiwa kuwa, Pembe hizo ambazo wataalamu wa wanyamapori wanasema zimetokana na tembo 39 zimekadiriwa kuwa na thamani ya Sh935 milioni.

Polisi wanasema askari waliokuwa katika moja ya vituo vya ukaguzi mjini Iringa walilisimamisha gari hilo lililokuwa na shehena ya pembe hizo za ndovu mapema wiki hii baada ya kulishtukia, lakini dereva wa gari hilo alikataa kusimama, hivyo kuwalazimisha askari katika kituo hicho cha ukaguzi kulifukuza gari hilo na kufanikiwa kulikamata katika Kituo cha Polisi cha Ruaha Mbuyuni ambapo polisi walikuwa wameweka kizuizi baada ya awali kupewa taarifa na wenzao wa mjini Iringa.

Mshikemshike na kashkashi iliyotokea katika kituo hicho cha Polisi mpaka majangili hayo yakatiwa mbaroni ilikuwa kubwa ingawa sasa ni historia. Hata hivyo, yafaa ifahamike tu hapa kwamba majangili hayo yalilitekeleza gari hilo lenye shehena na kujificha vichakani hadi wananchi walipoyakurupusha na kuwawezesha polisi kuyakamata pamoja na gari hilo lenye pembe hizo za ndovu zenye uzito wa kilo 212.

Tumezungumzia sakata hilo kwa kirefu kutokana na ukweli kuwa, kwa muda mrefu sasa matukio ya vitendo vya ujangili wa kutisha katika mbuga zetu za wanyama vimekuwa vya kawaida. Ilifika wakati majangili wakapata ujasiri wa ajabu wa kuwakamata wanyama mchana kweupe, wakiwamo twiga, na kuwasafirisha nje ya nchi kupitia katika viwanja vyetu vya ndege ambavyo vina ulinzi mkubwa pengine kuliko mahali popote hapa nchini.

Tukio hilo ambalo hakika lilikuwa la aina yake tangu nchi yetu ipate uhuru liliiacha Serikali katika aibu na mfadhaiko mkubwa, kwani lilionyesha pasipo shaka kwamba nchi yetu ina mtandao mkubwa wa ujangili unaohusisha baadhi ya wafanyabiashara wakubwa, wanasiasa, vigogo serikalini na baadhi ya watumishi katika vyombo vya ulinzi na usalama.

Vitendo hivyo vya ujangili na usafirishaji nje wa pembe za ndovu na nyaraka nyingine za Serikali umeiacha nchi yetu katika aibu kubwa. Mwezi uliopita, Serikali ilikiri kukamatwa nchini China kwa pembe 569 za ndovu zenye thamani ya Sh2.24 bilioni kutoka Tanzania.

Hii ilitanguliwa na matukio mengi ya aina hiyo ambayo hakika yameifanya Tanzania kuonekana kituko mbele ya Jumuiya ya Kimataifa.

Wengi wanajiuliza, biashara ya pembe za ndovu inamilikiwa na kuwezeshwa na kina nani? Usafirishaji wa pembe hizo na nyaraka nyingine unaratibiwa na magenge gani katika bandari, stesheni za treni na viwanja vya ndege? Ni kwa kiasi gani vyombo vya kiserikali kama Jeshi la Polisi, Usalama wa Taifa na Mamlaka ya Mapato Nchini (TRA), vinahusika?

Hayo bila shaka ni maswali magumu yanayohitaji majibu. Haiwezekani nchi yetu iendelee kuporwa rasilimali zake, huku mamlaka husika zikitazama tu pasipo kuchukua hatua stahiki na kuwaacha wananchi wakiogelea katika umaskini wa kutisha. Pamoja na hatua za zimamoto zinazochukuliwa hivi sasa na wizara husika, ukweli ni kuwa, kwa muda mrefu Serikali imekosa utashi wa kisiasa wa kukomesha vitendo hivyo au kufanya ufuatiliaji wa namna fulani.

Ndiyo maana wengi wanadhani Serikali inajua kinachoendelea. Inakuwaje mamia ya watu wanaokamatwa kwa ujangili au usafirishaji wa nyara za Serikali hawabanwi vya kutosha ili wawataje wamiliki wa biashara hiyo au mawakala wao?

via gazeti la Mwananchi







































































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11:19:00 PM


BENKI ya Taifa ya Biashara (NBC) imesema kuwa inautambua mchango wa wajasiriamali na wafanyabiashara wadogo wadogo katika kukuza uchumi wa taifa na hivyo itaendelea kuwa karibu nao na kuwapa mafunzo ya mara kwa mara.



Akizungumza na gazeti hili jana kuhusu kongamano la siku mbili la Wajasiriamali Vijana lililofanyika jijini Dar es Salaam hivi karibuni, Meneja Ukuzaji wa Biashara Huduma za Kibenki kwa Wateja Wakubwa na Kati, Jonathan Bitababaje alisema wajasiriamali wengi waliofanikiwa ni wale walioanzia ngazi za chini. Business devv man sme banking dept


“Kumbukumbu na nyaraka za kibenki zinaonyesha kuwa wale walioanza kwa mikopo midogo na kuendelea kufanya biashara na NBC ndio wamekuja kufanikiwa sana na ndio maana benki hii itaendelea kuwapa mafunzo na ushauri unaofaa wajasiriamali vijana,” alisema.


Alisema kupitia makongamano, wajasiriamali hupata nafasi ya kufahamu ni biashara gani inatakiwa kwa wakati, bidhaa gani inatakiwa na hata washindani wake ni akina nani.


Akizungumza wakati wa semina hiyo iliyofanyika katika Ukumbi wa Don Bosco kwa niaba ya Waziri wa Vijana, Habari, Utamaduni na Michezo, Dk. Fenella Mkandala, Naibu Mkurugenzi wa Vijana wizarani hapo, James Kijugusi aliwashauri wajasiriamali hao kuwa na tabia ya kuziwekea bima biashara zao.


“Biashara lazima ziwe na kinga. Kwa sasa  sema uchumi wan chi na hata wa dunia hauwezi kukua iwapo wajasiriamali wakijitoa katika biashara hasa katika enzi hizi zaunaTes Tfanyabiasharsiku ya kwanza biashara wajasiriamali .


Alisema kuwa kwa sasa Serikali ipo katika mazungumzo na mashirika ya hifadhi za jamii na bima kwa ajili ya kuweka utaratibu wa kuwasaidia wajasiriamali iwapo watapatwa na majanga ya aina hiyo.

NBC Bank  Business Development SME Banking Department, Jonathan
Bitababaje speaking during a Youth Entrepreneurship Summit 2012
organised by an NGO known as Young Entrepreneurship Support initiative
YESi under sponsorship of NBC Bank in Dar es Salaam.  Looking on is
YESi Executive Chairman, Dennis Maira.
Kongamano hio liliwajumuisha washiriki 250 kutoka kada mbalimbali za wajasiriamali vijana wa jijini Dar es Salaam.
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11:11:00 PM
THE National Bank of Commerce has said it realizes the contribution provided by the Small and Medium Enterprises to the Tanzanian economy and vows to continue to support them with training and equip them with the modern ways of doing business in this country.
Some of ABSA, Africa members  Stakeholders in picture
 
Speaking to the Express on Tuesday this week, during the workshop organized by the Dar es Salaam based NGO known as Young Entrepreneurship Support initiative (YESi Tanzania), the NBC PR Consultant; Eddie Mhina said the bank understood that youth entrepreneurs face challenges like finding capital, as well as access to financial assistance.
“But there are also other challenges which sometimes are not adequately addressed, including access to business skills and training, without which the business may fail to take off, hence NBC thought it was good idea to sponsor and support that workshop,” he said.
This paper also interviewed NBC Business and SME Manager, Jonathan Bitababaje, who said most of the successful businessmen were those who started with small loans and capital.
“The bank’s documents show that those who started with small loans and keep on going with NBC have turned to be successful, and that is the reason the bank will continue to equip young entrepreneurs with skills and pieces of advice,” he said.
Bitababaje said one of the most important things for business-minded people is information, as the community is now passing through an information era.
He said through workshops and training they would learn about what business and products were needed at a certain time, and even who the competitors were.
While opening the workshop at Don Bosco hall in Dar es Salaam recently on behalf of the Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports Dr. Fenella Mkandala, the Ministry’s Deputy Director for Youth Development, James Kijugusi said it would be better for entrepreneurs to adopt the habit of insuring their businesses.
“Your business should be insured. Do not risk your business to fire and other calamities. Insure them to avoid losses of capital,” said Kijugusi.
He said the Government was in talks with some social security funds as well as insurance agents to see how they can cooperate in protecting young entrepreneurs from natural calamities.
At least 250 participants attended the workshop and were awarded certificates.
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10:51:00 PM
The workers’ share of national income has been shrinking in many countries, causing public dissatisfaction and increasing the risk of social unrest, the International Labour Organization warned in a report.
“Declining workers’ share of national income has affected perceptions of what is fair, particularly given the huge payments some company executives have been getting,” said Patrick Belser, co-author of the ILO Global Wage Report 2012/13.
Wages represent the main source of income for Africans to support their families. The level of wages, therefore, has a direct impact on the well-being, education and security of African families and communities.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the share of wage employment has recently been showing fair growth. While many countries, including Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda have recorded relatively modest increases in the share of wage earners; countries like Namibia, Rwanda and South Africa have managed to register significant progress.
In 2010, real average wages increased by nearly 10 per cent in South Africa, where wage growth remained unequally distributed in various sectors, according to government figures.
Despite this progress, wage employment in sub-Saharan Africa continues to hold a relatively small part of the total paid employment jobs. In 2010/2011, the number of wage earners on the Continent accounted for more than 100 million – a significant amount in absolute terms.
The proportion of wage earners among women workers also remains disconcertingly lower than men. 
Although higher labour productivity resulted in positive wage growth in Africa, the nature of informal economies poses challenges in measuring the accurate status of wages. This may result in the projection of an overly optimistic picture of wage trends.
The quest for reliable data
Data on the evolution of average wages in Africa are relatively scarce. Only a few countries in Africa, including Botswana, Egypt, Lesotho, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda, carry out quarterly or annual establishment surveys in order to measure the evolution of earnings.
In most countries, wage data are best collected through labour force surveys that are implemented at irregular intervals, and are not always comparable across the years.
At present, Africa‘s population stands at just over 1 billion people – a 200 million increase since the turn of the century. Within the next two decades Africa‘s population is expected to swell to over 1.5 billion – exceeding 2 billion by 2050. Strengthening labour statistics to monitor progress and devise policies should therefore remain an absolute priority.
The only sustainable way to raise wages is through economic growth that brings about increases in labour productivity.
Evidence shows that productivity growth and education for all are critical to improving both the level and the distribution of wages.
In current economic conditions, the ILO encourages member states to adopt a minimum wage policy to reduce working poverty and provide social protection for vulnerable employees, such as women, people with disabilities and youth.
The ILO recommends government authorities set minimum wages after consultation with social partners.
South Africa, for example, introduced new minimum wage floors in 2002 to support the earnings of millions of low-paid workers in a variety of economic sectors, including domestic work.
By 2007/2008, more than 2/3 of the 54 countries in Africa had put in place a minimum wage policy – with wide variation in the level and design of the minimum wage across the continent.
While 70 per cent of African countries (where data is available) implement relatively simple national minimum wages – with a few possible adjustments by region, sector or broad categories of workers – the other 30 per cent implement more complex systems by industry and/or occupations.
The ILO has recently been providing technical assistance at the request of a growing number of governments and social partners around the world, to ensure implementation of successful national minimum wage policies.
ILO also supports efforts made to put in place other practical strategies, including collective bargaining, in-work benefits and income-support policies.

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