Tanzania’s Water Ministry Budget Cut Raises Concerns Over Development Projects
May 10, 2024By Adonis Byemelwa
Minister of Water Jumaa Aweso. Photo CreditThe Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Water and Environment has expressed concern over the reduced budget allocation for the Ministry of Water for the 2024/25 fiscal year, suggesting that it reflects a lack of prioritization by the government.
Chairing the committee, Jackson Kiswaga, stated today, Thursday, May 9, 2024, that while they support the ministry, the decrease in its development budget could hinder the effective implementation of projects, thus failing to meet the intended objectives for citizens.
According to Kiswaga, the entire budget estimates for the Ministry of Water have decreased by 17% compared to the approved budget for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. He highlighted that the projected expenditure for development projects has decreased by 18.4%, equivalent to 137.7 billion Tanzanian Shillings, compared to the previous fiscal year's budget.
"The committee views that the reduction in this development budget will affect the implementation of planned projects for the fiscal year 2024/2025," he said.
Additionally, Kiswaga noted a slight increase of 1.2% in the ordinary expenditure estimates for the outgoing fiscal year's budget. However, he expressed dissatisfaction, stating that it did not adequately adhere to the directives outlined in the CCM Election Manifesto for the 2020-2025 General Elections.
"The CCM Manifesto has promised to improve the provision of clean and safe water services so that by 2025, 85% of rural residents and 95% of urban residents will have access to these services," he added.
The committee's emphasis on the government is to ensure an increase of 137.7 billion Tanzanian Shillings in the Ministry of Water budget to at least maintain the same level as the previous fiscal year, Kiswaga said.
He highlighted that the budget for the Ministry of Water for the 2024/2025 fiscal year represents only 1.3% of the National Budget, indicating a decrease of 0.4% compared to the 2023/2024 fiscal year.
"This situation shows that the Ministry of Water is not among the government's priorities for this fiscal year," he remarked.
Kiswaga stressed that the budget increment would enable the government to fulfill President Samia Suluhu Hassan's vision of providing water services to 2,581 villages that are currently underserved.
"The government should recognize the importance of increasing funds in the National Water Fund from the current 50 Tanzanian Shillings per liter of diesel and petrol to 100 Tanzanian Shillings to complete major strategic projects," he stated.
The committee has warned that the reduction in the Ministry of Water's development budget could affect the effective implementation of development projects, thus failing to achieve the intended benefits for citizens.
"The execution of major water projects such as the construction of the Kidunda, Furkwa, and Ndembera/Lugoda dams requires the government's genuine commitment to allocating sufficient budgets for that purpose," Kiswaga emphasized.
He mentioned that delays in completing some water projects are due to contractor debt arrears, affecting water service delivery to citizens, increasing costs, and compromising the interests of contractors.
Furthermore, Kiswaga urged the government to settle all contractor debts before June 30, 2024, to ensure project completion and benefit the citizens.
The committee also called on the government to ensure that distributed water meets the required quality standards for citizen use.
When presenting the Ministry of Water's budget to Parliament, Minister Aweso stated that in the 2023/24 fiscal year, the ministry was allocated 756.2 billion Tanzanian Shillings.
"Out of these funds, 60.3 billion Shillings were for ordinary expenses, and 695.8 billion Shillings were for development projects," he said.
He noted that by April 2024, the Ministry had received 639.4 billion Tanzanian Shillings, equivalent to 84.6% of the approved budget.
Of the received funds, he stated that 593.3 billion Shillings were for implementing development projects, and 46 billion Shillings were for ordinary expenses.
Regarding water quality at water sources, Aweso explained that it varies depending on geography, climate change, human activities, and rock conditions.
"Statistics show that water quality in surface and underground water sources enables ecological well-being, thus can be developed for use in various sectors," he stated.
He emphasized that despite improvements in water quality, joint efforts are still needed to prevent pollution, restore, and enhance the natural water quality in water sources.
Furthermore, Aweso said that both rural and urban communities continue to access water that meets national quality standards, thus protecting the overall health of the population.
He attributed this achievement to the government's investment in collaboration with stakeholders in infrastructure construction, water treatment, and quality management in water distribution systems from sources to users.
Regarding the provision of clean water and the environment in rural areas, Aweso stated that the government aims to ensure that residents have access to sustainable and high-quality water services for over 85% by 2025.
"In achieving this goal, the government has continued efforts to build and rehabilitate water projects, expand distribution networks, and strengthen rural service management," he said.
He added that these efforts have increased access to water services from an average of 77% in December 2022 to an average of 79.6% in December 2023.
"This increase is due to the implementation of 632 projects with 7,956 water points, capable of serving 4,740,959 citizens," he concluded.
This concerted effort has increased the number of rural citizens accessing water services to 34,950,368 out of 39,232,999 rural residents according to the 2022 Population and Housing Census
source:
Tanzania's Water Ministry Budget Cut Raises Concerns Over Development Projects - PAN AFRICAN VISIONS
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