Health fund fails to account for 30bn/-

                    The Parliamentary Committee on Parastatal Organisations Accounts (POAC) has uncovered a loss of 30.3bn/- in the National Health Insurance Fund, blaming it on failure to observe the Public Procurement Act.

The House Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has meanwhile denied Lindi regional leaders an audience and sent them packing after their failure to explain loss of over 200m/- in public funds.

POAC Deputy Chairman Deo Filikunjombe explained that his committee reviewed a report by the Controller and Auditor General and discovered that it was failure by NHIF to observe the law that was behind the massive loss.

He said the fund had bought or otherwise procured a number of items without caring to follow laid down guidelines.

Giving examples, the MP said the fund engaged the services of security personnel and bought oil without announcing any tender, thus occasioning loss running into billions of shillings.

“Our committee was shocked on discovering that public procurement has been done without following the country’s laws and regulations, which are very clear,” he noted, adding that was taxpayers’ money and not money from NHIF coffers.

“This is a matter of grave concern over which our committee cannot remain silent. 

                Today we have observed this; what about tomorrow?” remarked a visibly upset Filikunjombe.

“The explanation the NHIF Director has given us contradicts the CAG’s report, which suggests that the fund is not doing its job as expected. We want the money back and safe for the benefit of public, and not otherwise,” he added.

He said the committee had reviewed the CAG’s report and thereafter instructed NHIF to work on the problem discovered to ensure that they did not recur, adding: “We directed that, for purposes of transparency and ensuring that there was no conflict of interests, the fund’s director general should not be a member of the team of auditors because is the one who had done the audit under dispute in the first place.”

The committee further directed NHIF to do whatever it would take to minimise running costs, “and bring to us the fund’s annual procurement report at our next meeting for more clarification”.

A member of the committee, Kangi Lugola, said violations of the legislation on public procurement were an indication that corruption and favouritism were rampant or endemic.

            He said it was unacceptable for the fund to be fond of seeking loopholes through which to enter into “emergency procurement transactions when the law clearly prohibits such things”.

NHIF Director General Emmanuel Humba defended himself, submitting that they were faced with a shortage of personnel “and one of our procurement professional quit and getting a replacement took very long” and adding that oil adulteration had contributed to the loss discovered.

In follow-up remarks, NHIF Board Chairman Ally Kiwenge commended the committee “for their constructive comments” and promised to work on the problems cited without delay.

“It would be unfair to expect the committee to say we are doing a good job when there are many problem areas. This should serve as part of a learning process,” he said.

Meanwhile, PAC Chairman John Cheyo led his team in sending away Lindi regional leaders who had come to Dar es Salaam for a meeting with the committee on their 2010/2011 revenue and expenditure.

After the discovery of the 200m/- loss, he declared: “Sorry, colleagues, there is no need for the committee to waste time listening to these people. Let’s go straight on to our agenda.”

              Cheyo then started going through the Lindi report while shaking his head in apparent shock and disbelief, and later stopped going through it and ordered them “get out and head back to home”.

He said the report showed that hefty amounts of money had been spent without detailed explanation or valid supporting documents, noting: “We are not here to waste time discussing such a hopeless report.”

Responding to earlier queries by the committee, acting Lindi regional administrative secretary Thomas Soum blamed the mess on a former “officer in charge of funds” he said things had since been transferred to Manyara Region.

Cheyo later promised to write a letter to the relevant authorities “strongly recommending” the immediate demotion of the officer referred to – and a second letter, to the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government) – “so that the officer’s salary is subjected to a 15 per cent deduction”.

Tanzania, India set to put up modern heart hospital in Dar

             President Jakaya Kikwete and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with their spouses, Salma Kikwete (L) and Gursharan Kaur, at State House in Dar es Salaam yesterday. (Photo: Khalfan Said)

Tanzania and India yesterday signed an agreement for construction of an ultra-modern heart specialty hospital in Dar es Salaam.

The hospital will be constructed at the University of Dar es Salaam near Mlimani City, according to an agreement signed in Dar es Salaam yesterday by President Kikwete and visiting Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.

Addressing journalists and delegates at State House after signing the agreement, President Kikwete said the construction would be undertaken jointly by Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Limited of India on the Indian side and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on the Tanzanian side. 

Kikwete said the hospital will help Tanzania to save almost 11bn/- which was spent in treating patients abroad last year.

He said apart from heart related diseases, the hospital will be curing patients with neurosurgical, kidney and cancer diseases.

             He said that India has so far trained 29 medical practitioners from Tanzania who are now able to perform open heart surgeries, and that they had so far succeeded in 155 cases.

“We thank India for their support in helping us build our own hospital to treat complicated diseases”, he said.

He said Tanzania wanted to deal with health care internally and had asked experts from Apollo hospital to come and examine the patients here every few months.  

The president said in future, they planned to build similar hospitals in Mbeya, Mwanza, Arusha and Zanzibar.

Under the agreement signed yesterday, India also pledged to provide USD 190 million for water and capacity building projects.

President Kikwete hailed the bilateral cooperation between Tanzania and India which, he said, had resulted in increased trade volume which currently stood at 1.1bn/- while the Indian investment in Tanzania was 1.3bn/-.

He asked India to provide support in the education, agriculture, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and manufacturing sectors. 

The president said his government was committed to improving agriculture because 80 per cent of the country’s population resided in rural areas and depended on farming. 

He said agriculture was growing at a slow pace compared to other sectors such as tourism which was growing by 40 per cent and communication by 20 per cent while agriculture growth remained at only 4.3 percent.

“Our main focus is to increase productivity through the use of fertilizers and modern agricultural equipments. We also want to improve our rural roads”, he said.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said the USD 190 million credit will be used in improving water supply projects in Dar es Salaam (USD 180 million) and the USD 10 million for capacity building projects in the social and education sectors.

              He said the Indian government was committed to support the President’s national agriculture first initiative as Tanzania is India’s important trading partner.

Dr Singh said they would also focus on small and medium industries, healthcare and human resource development. “Looked at from any point of view, whether geographical proximity, cultural influences or the stages of our development, it is essential for the two countries to have close relations. We will accelerate our efforts to this end”, Dr Singh said.

THE Director of Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO), Michael Laizer said the agreement signed yesterday would help boost small scale entrepreneurs. 

He said the Indian government was likely to support them in building processing industries since the country was facing a shortage of industries for its agricultural produce.

            The Impact of Poverty in Rural Communities in Tanzania

BY JACQUELINE MALECELA      
       
           Poverty in Australia, although considered to be a prosperous country, is as serious an issue as global poverty. Poverty in Australia is associated with high levels of long-term unemployment, the significant increase in the difference in economic well being between Australians. Australian Indigenous peoples continue to be the single most disadvantaged group in the Country, with many living in conditions similar to those in the poorer Countries. Evidence of social distress is found in the increasing numbers of Australians seeking assistance from charitable organisations in times of financial crisis. The Salvation Army in Australia assists 1.08 million people per year and spends $318 million delivering its social services through out Australia. Poverty is the major cause of homelessness. An increasing drug culture, gambling addictions and family breakdown are also contributing to the high levels of poverty.
  The obvious difference in the level of income between the very poorest people on earth and the majority of those in Australia does not effect the reality that both suffer from the same kind of social and economic exclusion, from the same sense of humiliation and dependency, from the same kind of rejection,In addressing the issues of poverty we need to peel back the layers of poverty and injustice which keep people poor., revealing something that is already there ? human dignity and a desire to live and enjoy life. Poverty permeates body, mind and spirit


        The world is changing at an unprecedented rate and continual change will be the feature of the 21st Century. The Salvation Army is being challenged to develop effective responses to this volatile social environment. Over the past ten years there has been a radical shift in the way that welfare agencies have had to deal with changing needs in the community. In particular they have needed to provide support for people who have never sought assistance before.It has also been necessary to address changes in the way that governments structures the delivery of human service programs. Increasingly the community sector has been required to take on tasks, which in the past would have clearly been the responsibility of governments.


        An example of this is the de-institutionalisation of mental health facilities, where many people have been relocated into the community without adequate support. Significant numbers of people with mental health issues are now using homeless persons services or live in low cost rooming houses, without appropriate medical, housing or support networks. Another area where community organisations are facing considerable changes is in the area of providing assistance to the unemployed.The challenge is how we can plan and prepare for a prosperous and socially inclusive Australia ? This is a question The Salvation Army is carefully considering.

         The Salvation Army believes that there are two core requirements for the challenge of the new century.
Firstly, The Salvation Army must be forward thinking, innovative and able to adapt to human needs in a constantly changing social environment.
Secondly, although a major provider of crisis support, needs to develop its capacity to help individuals and families in the context of communities local systems of support. Building up the capacity of local community to support people is a major challenge for Australia over the next twenty years.In this rapidly changing world, it is vital that people feel connected in supportive and resilient families and communities. No one should feel alone, unloved, forgotten and with no sense that they belong somewhere in our society. As well as its crisis support, The Salvation Army offers a comprehensive range of responses to people in need, including many focussed on prevention, early intervention and transitional support.


         Throughout its history The Salvation Army has had to balance huge demands on its services with a limited resource pool. There never seems enough to go around and grass root Salvation Army services have a rich tradition of using what they have in an innovative and practical way.Responding to ever changing community needs necessitates a continuing commitment to innovation and flexibility. Innovative organisations are learning focussed. They learn from the people who use their services; their staff; by being active participants in the local community; by using their own program data and other relevant research.The Salvation Army in Australia responds to its responsibility of bringing the organisations collective experience of social need to advocate on behalf of the disadvantaged through representation on Federal Government advisory groups including homelessness, youth and drug and alcohol.
        
        Divisions within the Territories have access to State and Local Governments through direct communication and representation on advisory group and peak bodies and through pre budget consultations, advocating for a fair and more compassionate deal for the most disadvantaged.

                                               WOMEN  EMPOWERMENT

BY JACQUELINE MALECELA

            After taking three planes and traveling for 36 hours through three different continents I finally stepped off the plane with my best friend into the crisp night air of Tanzania. At the airport, we got our residence visas and went through the quickest security check I’ve ever experienced.A smiling man had his dog smell our bags and asked a few simple questions about their contents and our stay. At that point, we were so excited to be in East Africa but had no idea what to expect. I had come to Tanzania thanks to the Arusha Project a nonprofit organization that works to promote HIV/AIDS relief and gender equality in Tanzania.

              It partners with many Tanzanian-run organizations in and near Arusha, a city in Northern Tanzania. During my month-long stay in the country, I would get to learn more about the lives of Tanzanian women, hike at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro and dance and sing with members of the Masai tribe. I worked with one of the Arusha Project’s partners, an organization called Faraja Women Empowerment—Faraja meaning “courage” in Swahili. It was established in 2005 by a nurse and two teachers who saw a need to respond to the impact that HIV/AIDS was having in a ward of Arusha called Sombetini. There are many aspects to the organization, including a school and home care for women affected by HIV/AIDS, which includes referrals for treatment, education, counseling and financial support. As an economics major and international studies minor, this was the perfect placement for me, academically and personally.

            The nine other volunteers, directors and I lived together in a wonderful house with banana trees outside our windows and chickens running around. To get to the Faraja offices, Michelle, another Arusha Project volunteer, and I stuffed ourselves each day into vans they use as public transportation here, called dala dala. I’ve seen up to 25 people cram into the vehicles! During my time with Faraja, the organization was going through one of its bi-yearly rounds of granting of loans, which was extremely exciting for me since I was very interested in microfinance. Women can apply in groups of five for microloans from the Arusha Project, through Faraja. A typical first-time loan was 100,000 shillings (about $80) to each woman, paid back with a 10 percent interest rate over a period of six months. The group loans fostered a sense of support and trust between the women because if one woman defaulted, the other four are responsible for paying her share back.