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...I repeat: WHAT HAS YOUR COUNTRY DONE FOR YOU LATELY? Ballali debate continues to dominate Bunge
THISDAY REPORTER Dodoma
THE alleged involvement of Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Governor Dr Daudi Ballali in suspect multi-million dollar expenditures at the central bank yesterday continued to dominate parliamentary debate here, with lawmakers seemingly split in their opinions.
In an unexpected move, Chrisant Mzindakaya (Kwela - CCM), who declared himself an expert on BoT external commercial debt account affairs, stood up to defend Dr Ballali over the matter of some 200bn/- or so disappearing without explanation from the account.
The veteran MP offered to set the record straight by asserting that the amount of money said to have mysteriously vanished from the account ’’was actually $131m (approx. 160bn/-), and not $200m (250bn/-) as suggested by opposition legislators.’’
’’I can say I am speaking with authority because I have already done a detailed research on this matter and have all the relevant information,’’ Mzindakaya told parliamentarians here as debate on the 2007/08 government budget proposals entered a third day.
He said he had been briefed about the issue by two people, one a Tanzanian national and the other a Zimbabwean based in South Africa. But he did not name them in parliament.
Expressing support for the current move to conduct an official government audit of BoT, he said ’’once this audit is completed, we will know the full truth about this matter.’’
He added: ’’According to my own research, the Bank of Tanzania is one of the top ten central banks in Africa.’’
On the BoT Twin Towers construction project costs which have also raised many questions and much controversy, Mzindakaya asserted that there were no irregularities here either.
’’People might now say that the new BoT headquarters building was too costly. But ten years from now, we will all be happy with the wise decision to build it,’’ he said.
According to available records, Mzindakaya is the owner of Sumbawanga Agricultural and Animal Food Industries Limited (SAAFI), a new, ultra-modern meat processing company that is understood to have been set up through a long-term loan of 9.7bn/- from Standard Chartered Bank.
It is also understood that the credit line that SAAFI received from Standard Chartered Bank was expressly guaranteed by the BoT.
Contributing to the same debate yesterday, Ms Halima Mdee (Special Seats - CHADEMA) called on MPs across both sides of the political divide to set ideological differences aside for the sake of national interests.
She urged the government to thoroughly investigate the myriad of allegations raised against BoT, saying: ’’It may be that these reports are either true or false?but they are very sensitive matters involving us as a country.’’
Ms Mdee added that ’’instead of trying to neutralise these issues and dismiss these reports as mere lies, we should back the government’s stated intention to investigate.’’
Opposition legislators have demanded an official statement from Finance Minister Ms Zakia Meghji regarding the alleged gross mismanagement of funds at the BoT. One of them, Dr Wilbrod Slaa (Karatu ? CHADEMA) made a direct reference to allegations ostensibly aimed at Dr Ballali in person.
The MPs also slammed the controversial BoT Twin Towers project in Dar es Salaam, noting that the structure is said to have cost four times more than the cost of erecting a similar building in some of the world’s most expensive cities like London, New York and Tokyo.
KATIKA kile kinachoweza kuelezwa kuwa ni ama kubadilika kwa Mbunge wa Kwela, Dk. Chrisant Mzindakaya (CCM) au kuishiwa mabomu, mwanasiasa huyo jana alitumia muda mwingi bungeni kuitetea serikali dhidi ya tuhuma zilizotolewa na baadhi ya wabunge. Zama za mbunge huyo maarufu, machachari, mtafiti na mtu aliyewahi kuibua hoja nzito na hatimaye kusababisha mawaziri wajiuzulu, sasa zinaonekana kutokomea. Akichangia hotuba ya bajeti na ile ya hali ya uchumi bungeni jana, Mzindakaya ambaye hivi karibuni aliteuliwa na Rais Jakaya Kikwete kuwa Mwenyekiti wa Bodi ya Shirika la Maendeleo nchini (NDC), alitumia muda mwingi kuipamba serikali. Katika mchango wake wa jana, Mzindakaya alipinga hoja za wapinzani, na hususan za Mbunge wa Karatu, Dk. Wilbroad Slaa (Chadema), aliyeelekeza mashambulizi yake dhidi ya Gavana wa Benki Kuu, Daudi Balali, wafanyabiashara na maofisa kadhaa serikalini. Dk. Slaa wakati akichangia mjadala wa bajeti juzi, alinukuu ujumbe wa barua pepe (e-mail) aliotumiwa ambao ulikuwa ukiwataja viongozi kadhaa serikalini, wafanyabiashara na Gavana wa Benki Kuu (BoT), Daudi Balali kwa kuhusika katika kile kilichoonekana kuwa ni kashfa ya ujenzi wa jengo la minara miwili la BoT. Katika hoja zake, Mzindakaya alisema madai yaliyomo katika ujumbe huo wa mtandao (Intaneti) unaosema kiasi cha fedha kilichopotea ni dola za Marekani milioni 200 za Marekani, hauna ukweli kwani ukweli ni kwamba, fedha zilizopotea ni Dola za Marekani milioni 131. Mzindakaya alisema kuna wafanyabishara ambao wamekuwa wakiwatumia wabunge kuwasemea bungeni masuala yao kwa manufaa yao binafsi. Alisema kwamba anaelewa kuwa suala hilo la BoT linawahusisha Mtanzania na Mzimbabwe na kwamba amefurahishwa na hatua ya serikali ya kufanya uchunguzi wa tatizo hilo. “Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika, zabuni ya ujenzi wa BoT ilitolewa kwa haki. Kampuni zilizoshiriki kuomba zabuni ni nyingi, lakini walibaki wazabuni sita, Skanska ikashinda kabla ya kujitoa na kumwachia mkandarasi wa sasa na hakuna tatizo kama hilo,” alisema Mzindakaya. Alisema mwaka 1967, wakati Jengo la Kitega Uchumi la Bima lilipojengwa kwa sh 40,000 kulikuwa na malalamiko mengi ya matumizi mabaya ya fedha, kama inavyotokea sasa kwa BoT. “Tuliambiwa kuwa tumetumia vibaya fedha za walipa kodi, sasa na suala hili la BoT tunafikiri ni gharama kubwa, lakini Benki Kuu yetu ni safi na ni moja kati ya Benki Kuu 10 bora barani Afrika,” alisema. Huku akinukuu baadhi ya kumbukumbu alisema; “Mwaka 1995 reserve yetu (akiba yetu ya fedha za kigeni) ilikuwa dola milioni 271, miaka 10 baadaye, reserve yetu ni dola bilioni 2.4. Leo hii ni bilioni 2.2 jamani haya ni maendeleo makubwa kwa nchi,”
Hii ni Blog ya Watanzania popote walipo duniani kwa ajili ya kuhabarisha, kutoa/kupokea taarifa na kuelimisha mambo yote yaliyo chanya kwa Taifa letu. Tafadhali sana unapotoa maoni usichafue hali ya hewa wala usijeruhi hisia za mtu/watu. Kuwa mstaarabu...
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...I repeat: WHAT HAS YOUR COUNTRY DONE FOR YOU LATELY?
ReplyDeleteBallali debate continues to dominate Bunge
THISDAY REPORTER
Dodoma
THE alleged involvement of Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Governor Dr Daudi Ballali in suspect multi-million dollar expenditures at the central bank yesterday continued to dominate parliamentary debate here, with lawmakers seemingly split in their opinions.
In an unexpected move, Chrisant Mzindakaya (Kwela - CCM), who declared himself an expert on BoT external commercial debt account affairs, stood up to defend Dr Ballali over the matter of some 200bn/- or so disappearing without explanation from the account.
The veteran MP offered to set the record straight by asserting that the amount of money said to have mysteriously vanished from the account ’’was actually $131m (approx. 160bn/-), and not $200m (250bn/-) as suggested by opposition legislators.’’
’’I can say I am speaking with authority because I have already done a detailed research on this matter and have all the relevant information,’’ Mzindakaya told parliamentarians here as debate on the 2007/08 government budget proposals entered a third day.
He said he had been briefed about the issue by two people, one a Tanzanian national and the other a Zimbabwean based in South Africa. But he did not name them in parliament.
Expressing support for the current move to conduct an official government audit of BoT, he said ’’once this audit is completed, we will know the full truth about this matter.’’
He added: ’’According to my own research, the Bank of Tanzania is one of the top ten central banks in Africa.’’
On the BoT Twin Towers construction project costs which have also raised many questions and much controversy, Mzindakaya asserted that there were no irregularities here either.
’’People might now say that the new BoT headquarters building was too costly. But ten years from now, we will all be happy with the wise decision to build it,’’ he said.
According to available records, Mzindakaya is the owner of Sumbawanga Agricultural and Animal Food Industries Limited (SAAFI), a new, ultra-modern meat processing company that is understood to have been set up through a long-term loan of 9.7bn/- from Standard Chartered Bank.
It is also understood that the credit line that SAAFI received from Standard Chartered Bank was expressly guaranteed by the BoT.
Contributing to the same debate yesterday, Ms Halima Mdee (Special Seats - CHADEMA) called on MPs across both sides of the political divide to set ideological differences aside for the sake of national interests.
She urged the government to thoroughly investigate the myriad of allegations raised against BoT, saying: ’’It may be that these reports are either true or false?but they are very sensitive matters involving us as a country.’’
Ms Mdee added that ’’instead of trying to neutralise these issues and dismiss these reports as mere lies, we should back the government’s stated intention to investigate.’’
Opposition legislators have demanded an official statement from Finance Minister Ms Zakia Meghji regarding the alleged gross mismanagement of funds at the BoT. One of them, Dr Wilbrod Slaa (Karatu ? CHADEMA) made a direct reference to allegations ostensibly aimed at Dr Ballali in person.
The MPs also slammed the controversial BoT Twin Towers project in Dar es Salaam, noting that the structure is said to have cost four times more than the cost of erecting a similar building in some of the world’s most expensive cities like London, New York and Tokyo.
Mzindakaya asalimisha mabomu, Ngasongwa asongwa bungeni
na Kulwa Karedia, Dodoma
KATIKA kile kinachoweza kuelezwa kuwa ni ama kubadilika kwa Mbunge wa Kwela, Dk. Chrisant Mzindakaya (CCM) au kuishiwa mabomu, mwanasiasa huyo jana alitumia muda mwingi bungeni kuitetea serikali dhidi ya tuhuma zilizotolewa na baadhi ya wabunge.
Zama za mbunge huyo maarufu, machachari, mtafiti na mtu aliyewahi kuibua hoja nzito na hatimaye kusababisha mawaziri wajiuzulu, sasa zinaonekana kutokomea.
Akichangia hotuba ya bajeti na ile ya hali ya uchumi bungeni jana, Mzindakaya ambaye hivi karibuni aliteuliwa na Rais Jakaya Kikwete kuwa Mwenyekiti wa Bodi ya Shirika la Maendeleo nchini (NDC), alitumia muda mwingi kuipamba serikali.
Katika mchango wake wa jana, Mzindakaya alipinga hoja za wapinzani, na hususan za Mbunge wa Karatu, Dk. Wilbroad Slaa (Chadema), aliyeelekeza mashambulizi yake dhidi ya Gavana wa Benki Kuu, Daudi Balali, wafanyabiashara na maofisa kadhaa serikalini.
Dk. Slaa wakati akichangia mjadala wa bajeti juzi, alinukuu ujumbe wa barua pepe (e-mail) aliotumiwa ambao ulikuwa ukiwataja viongozi kadhaa serikalini, wafanyabiashara na Gavana wa Benki Kuu (BoT), Daudi Balali kwa kuhusika katika kile kilichoonekana kuwa ni kashfa ya ujenzi wa jengo la minara miwili la BoT.
Katika hoja zake, Mzindakaya alisema madai yaliyomo katika ujumbe huo wa mtandao (Intaneti) unaosema kiasi cha fedha kilichopotea ni dola za Marekani milioni 200 za Marekani, hauna ukweli kwani ukweli ni kwamba, fedha zilizopotea ni Dola za Marekani milioni 131.
Mzindakaya alisema kuna wafanyabishara ambao wamekuwa wakiwatumia wabunge kuwasemea bungeni masuala yao kwa manufaa yao binafsi.
Alisema kwamba anaelewa kuwa suala hilo la BoT linawahusisha Mtanzania na Mzimbabwe na kwamba amefurahishwa na hatua ya serikali ya kufanya uchunguzi wa tatizo hilo.
“Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika, zabuni ya ujenzi wa BoT ilitolewa kwa haki. Kampuni zilizoshiriki kuomba zabuni ni nyingi, lakini walibaki wazabuni sita, Skanska ikashinda kabla ya kujitoa na kumwachia mkandarasi wa sasa na hakuna tatizo kama hilo,” alisema Mzindakaya.
Alisema mwaka 1967, wakati Jengo la Kitega Uchumi la Bima lilipojengwa kwa sh 40,000 kulikuwa na malalamiko mengi ya matumizi mabaya ya fedha, kama inavyotokea sasa kwa BoT.
“Tuliambiwa kuwa tumetumia vibaya fedha za walipa kodi, sasa na suala hili la BoT tunafikiri ni gharama kubwa, lakini Benki Kuu yetu ni safi na ni moja kati ya Benki Kuu 10 bora barani Afrika,” alisema.
Huku akinukuu baadhi ya kumbukumbu alisema; “Mwaka 1995 reserve yetu (akiba yetu ya fedha za kigeni) ilikuwa dola milioni 271, miaka 10 baadaye, reserve yetu ni dola bilioni 2.4. Leo hii ni bilioni 2.2 jamani haya ni maendeleo makubwa kwa nchi,”