THE port of Dar es Salaam handled 14.26 million tonnes of cargo during fiscal year 2013/2014 and thus surpassing the target of 13 million tonnes set for the year and 12 million tonnes that were handled in the previous year.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Investment and Empowerment), Dr Mary Nagu, attributed the achievement to implementation of the Big Results Now (BRN) initiative, which has been implemented during the past one year.

Through BRN, the government identified six key results areas to boost the economy as the country geared itself to attaining a middle income economy by the year 2025 through the Tanzania Development Vision 2025.

“There have been impressive achievements since the introduction of BRN initiative. Change of mindsets among public servants is among the attainments.

We now have in place an institutional framework for implementation of the initiative,” she said. Dr Nagu made the remarks in response to a basic question by Masasi MP Maryam Kasembe (CCM), who had tasked the government to explain the achievements and challenges faced in implementation of the scheme.

“Apart from the improvements at the port, the government has also revamped passenger and cargo transport on the central railway network by refurbishing the railway line and locomotives,” she explained.

In the agriculture sector, maize production had increased by 500,000 tonnes while rice improved production by 166,000 tonnes during the first year of the implementation of BRN, according to the minister.

Dr Nagu noted as well that 2.36 rural folks were supplied with water, noting that the number was almost five times the total number of people to be supplied with the precious liquid in just a year.

She added that improved generation and distribution of electricity, coupled with average usage of power among Tanzanians, had increased from 97 kWh to 105.8 kWh per person, exceeding the set target of 102 kWh.

Regarding resource mobilization, the minister said the government had managed to reduce budget deficit and boost property tax collection in the three municipalities of Dar es Salaam from 5bn/- to 10bn/-.

However, she cited shortage of funds to implement earmarked key result projects as among challenges facing implementation of the initiative.

Dr Nagu mentioned other challenges as lack of proper systems to conduct evaluation of the implementation and long recruitment process of employees in respective execution units.

Source: Tanzania Daily News

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