Mwanza councillors approve 88bn/- for 2014/2015 budget

Mwanza city

Councilors here have endorsed 88bn/- budget for 2014/2015, few days after they rejected the earlier one tabled by the Mwanza City Council demanding for amendment.

Last week, the Mwanza City Council presented 87.3 bn/- budget but it was rejected by the councilors, claiming that it does not reflect the actual demands of the people.

The councilors, both from the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi and the opposition Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo instead ordered the city fathers to amend the budget and bring back a realistic one.

The amended budget of 88bn/- was endorsed late Tuesday after a long and heated debate which lasted  four hours, and this was after the city fathers promised to improve it for the betterment of Mwanza residents.

 The issue the construction of a clinic at Utemini took a centre stage at the Full Council meeting chaired by the Deputy Mayor John Minja.

The councilors demanded explanation from the City officials on how the money disbursed by the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) to build the clinic was spent.

Councilor for Igoma Adam Chagulani said unless the councilors get satisfactory explanation on how the money was spent, they would not endorse the budget.

 Chagulani said it would be unfair to milk wananchi to contribute towards the construction of the clinic yet the money was allocated for the purpose. He said all those involved in misappropriating the money should be dealt with accordingly. 

 For his part, councilor for Mirongo Ward Daud Mkama called on city fathers to explain as to why 800m/- was spent without the blessing of the full Council.
Responding to queries raised by the councilors, the City Council Human Resource Officer,

Francis Mkabenga said the council took 850m/- from BOT’s disbursed money and used the same as a guarantor to secure 800m/- from CRDB. He said the money was meant to run the council which was cash strapped.

Mkabenga however, said that they later failed to pay back the money to the CRDB forcing the bank to deduct its money from the 3.1bn/- disbursed by the BOT.

The budget was endorsed after collection from internal revenues was raised to 10bn/- from 9bn/- which was rejected in the earlier proposed budget.

The councilors agreed that the increased amount of 1bn/- from the internal revenue be directed to improve education and health services.

They also challenged the city fathers to increase the scope of revenue collection in order to raise sources of income.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN