News | MPs raise ‘red flag’ over defence underfunding

DODOMA - TANZANIA: MEMBERS of Parliament have raised the red flag over continued tendency of underfunding the Ministry of Defence and National Service, saying this may compromise the efficiency of the defence forces and consequently security of the country.

The alert followed the ministry’s 2016/17 budget implementation and 2017/18 budget estimates which indicate that the ministry had received only 14.5 per cent of the approved development budget for FY 2016/17.

Presenting the ministry’s budget estimates yesterday, the Minister, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, noted that the ministry was allocated 1.7tri/- for FY 2016/17 and that by April this year, it had received just 1.1tril/-, equivalent to 69.1 per cent.

According to him, 248bn/- was allocated for development expenditure and only 35.9bn/-, accounting for 14.5 per cent, also received by April this year. This figure was yet smaller (by 10.2 per cent) than the 40bn/- which the ministry received as development budget in 2015/16.

Moreover, the lion’s share of the budget line 35.9bn/- went to the ministry (94 per cent) while Nyumbu and the National Service (JKT) received only six and three per cent respectively.

Dr Mwinyi noted that during 2017/18 budget, the ministry had asked for 1.72tri/- for recurrent and development expenditure, down from 1.73tri/- 2016/17 budget.

The minister noted further that the ministry’s proposed 2017/18 development budget stands at 219bn/-, down from 248bn/- allocated during FY 2016/17.

Dr Mwinyi hinted that, due to such underfunding, the ministry had failed to meet some of its financial obligations including payments to suppliers of goods, providers of services and compensation to wananchi whose lands were taken by the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) for military uses.

The MPs, through the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security and Opposition camp called on the government to fund the ministry to the fullest considering its sensitivity and its nature of operations.

Presenting the committee’s recommendations, its Chairman Ambassador Adadi Rajabu revealed that Defence Scheme (Military Research and Development) was allocated 151.1bn/- during 2016/17 but the ministry had so far received 30bn/-only, equivalent to 20 per cent.