UFISADI OFISI YA BUNGE

na Charles Mullinda

IMEBAINIKA kuwa, Ofisi ya Bunge imetumia vibaya mamilioni ya shilingi yaliyotolewa na serikali kwa ajili ya uendeshaji wa ofisi hiyo katika kipindi cha mwaka wa fedha wa 2007/2008.

Hayo yamebainishwa na baadhi ya wabunge wa Kamati ya Bunge ya Hesabu za Serikali (PAC) katika mahojiano yao na Tanzania Daima Jumatano yaliyofanyika wiki iliyopita mjini Dodoma kwa wakati tofauti.

Wakizungumza kwa sharti la majina yao kutoandikwa gazetini, kwa kile walichoeleza kuwa ni kuogopa kuandamwa na baadhi ya wabunge wenzao, walisema ushahidi wa maelezo yao umo katika ripoti ya Mdhibiti na Mkaguzi Mkuu wa Hesabu za Serikali (CGA) ya mwaka wa fedha wa 2007/2008.

Mmoja wa wabunge hao alieleza kuwa licha ya ripoti ya CGA kubainisha matumizi mabaya ya mamilioni ya fedha katika Ofisi ya Bunge, Mwenyekiti wa PAC, John Cheyo, alizuia kujadiliwa kwa ripoti hiyo baada ya kushauriana na baadhi ya vigogo wa Ofisi ya Bunge, jambo ambalo linazuia kuchukuliwa hatua zozote za kisheria au kurekebisha hali hiyo hadi sasa.

Alisema Ofisi ya Bunge imekuwa ikifanya jitihada za makusudi kuhakikisha ripoti hiyo haijadiliwi na PAC, kwa hofu kwamba inaweza kusababisha baadhi ya watendaji kuwajibishwa na baadhi ya wanasiasa kuchafuka majina yao.

Cheyo, Mwenyekiti wa PAC na Mbunge wa Bariadi Mashariki (UDP), alipoulizwa na gazeti hili kuhusu madai hayo, alisema ni kweli ripoti ya CAG kuhusu matumizi ya fedha za serikali katika Ofisi ya Bunge si nzuri, kwa sababu inaonyesha upungufu mkubwa wa urejeshaji masufuru pamoja na matumuzi mengine mabaya ya fedha za ofisi hiyo.

Hata hivyo, alikana kuikalia ripoti hiyo kwa namna yoyote na kueleza kuwa, aliamua kuiweka pembeni baada ya kushauriana na kukubaliana na wajumbe wote wa kamati hiyo kuwa hawawezi kuijadili, kwa sababu walishindwa kumhoji Katibu wa Bunge, Dk. Thomas Kashililah, ambaye wakati kamati hiyo akikutana kujadili ripoti mbalimbali za CGA kuhusu hesabu za taasisi za serikali, alikuwa hajaapishwa na rais kushika wadhifa huo.

“Ni kweli ripoti ya CAG kuhusu matumuzi ya fedha katika Ofisi ya Bunge si nzuri, inaonyesha upungufu mkubwa katika urejeshaji wa masurufu, na ripoti zote ambazo zinaonyesha hivyo kihasibu huwa ni mbaya. Sasa kwa Spika hii si nzuri, inamtia doa, anaweza asiaminike tena iwapo itawekwa wazi, kwa sababu ataonekana hafanani na kauli zake.

“Siyasemi haya kwa sababu nina kisasi na Spika, bali ni kwa sababu umeniuliza. Unajua Spika amenijeruhi hivi karibuni, sasa sitaki nionekana kama ninalipa kisasi. Lakini ukweli unabaki pale pale kwa sababu umeandikwa vitabuni kuwa kuna kasoro katika Ofisi ya Bunge ambayo inasimamiwa na Spika,” alisema Cheyo.

Spika Sitta alipoulizwa kuhusu kauli hiyo ya Cheyo, alisema hahusiki kwa namna yoyote na uchukuaji wa masurufu, hivyo hapaswi kunyooshewa kidole iwapo imebainika kuwapo kwa kasoro zozote za matumuzi mabaya ya fedha za serikali katika ofisi yake.

Spika alisema taratibu ziko wazi kuwa wanaochukua masufuru kwa ajili yake ni wasaidizi wake wanaohusika kumuandalia safari zake zote, ndani na nje ya nchi.

“Mimi sihusiki kuchukua masurufu, wanaohusika ni wasaidizi wangu, sasa kama kuna kasoro, wao ndio wanajua. Nina ofisi yangu binafsi kama viongozi wengine wakuu wa kitaifa, sitembei na fedha mfukoni, wasaidizi wangu wa ofisi hiyo ndio wanaoniandalia safari na ziara zangu zote. Wao ndio wanaonilipia kila kitu, walinzi, maradhi, kila kitu, ndio wanaochukua fedha za masurufu kwa niaba yangu,” alisema Spika Sitta.

Alipoulizwa kuhusu madai kuwa alitumia fedha nyingi za Ofisi ya Bunge kugharamia vikao na tafrija zilizokuwa zikifanyikia nyumbani kwake wakati mkewe, Margaret Sitta, ambaye pia ni Waziri wa Maendeleo ya Jamii, Jinsia na Watoto, akiwania nafasi ya kuwa mjumbe wa Halmashauri Kuu ya Taifa ya CCM (NEC), alisema madai hayo inabidi yafafanuliwe.

“Ninachokijua mimi kuhusu hili, ni kweli kulikuwa na vitu vya aina hiyo wakati huo, lakini ninachokumbuka ni kwamba gharama nyingi za mikusanyiko hiyo nilikuwa ninatumia fedha zangu za mfukoni, nilikuwa nalipa mwenyewe. Lakini hili ili nilielewe vizuri, inabidi lifafanuliwe,” alisema.

Naye Katibu wa Bunge, Dk. Thomas Kashililah alipoulizwa kuhusu hali hiyo, alisema hawezi kuzungumza jambo hilo, kwa sababu alipoingia katika wadhifa huo alikuta hali hiyo imeshatokea.

Alibainisha kuwa ni kweli hakuhojiwa na Kamati ya PAC kwa sababu alikuwa hajaapishwa na rais, lakini kwa sasa kamati hiyo inaweza kuendelea na kazi zake kama kawaida, bila kupata kipingamizi kutoka kwa mtu yeyote.

“Mimi nilipoingia katika ofisi hii, hali hiyo niliikuta, hivyo siwezi kusema kitu, kwa sababu sikuwapo, siwezi kuizungumzia. Ninachoweza kukitolea maelezo ni kile ambacho kimefanyika wakati wa kipindi changu.

“Lakini suala la ripoti hiyo kukaliwa halipo, PAC ikitaka kukaa kuijadili hata kesho ni sawa tu, hakuna tatizo, waje wakae, wao wana ratiba zao za vikao, kuna ripoti nyingi tu hazijajadiliwa, hizi hazijakaliwa, naomba kwa sababu linahusu Ofisi ya Spika, isichukuliwe kuwa linazimwa,” alisema Dk. Kashililah.

Ripoti ya CAG, ambayo Tanzania Daima Jumatano imeiona, katika ukurasa wake wa 43, fungu la 42, inaitaja Ofisi ya Bunge katika orodha ya taasisi za serikali zilizopewa hati zenye shaka, kwa kukiuka taratibu za kihasibu.

Ripoti hiyo inabainisha kuwa Ofisi ya Bunge ilifanya malipo ya matibabu nje ya nchi ya zaidi ya sh milioni 101 bila kuidhinishwa na Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii, uhamisho wa fedha wa zaidi ya sh milioni 63 kutoka kifungu kimoja kwenda kingine bila kibali na malipo yenye thamani ya sh milioni 7.8 yalifanyika bila kibali.

Upungufu mwingine uliotajwa katika ripoti hiyo ni malipo yenye nyaraka pungufu ya sh milioni 526, malipo yasiyo halali ya sh milioni 102.5, malipo yenye shaka ya sh milioni 63.9, mishahara isiyolipwa na ambayo haikurejeshwa Hazina sh milioni 17.1, sh milioni 3.4 za mishahara ya watumishi walioachishwa kazi inayoendelea kulipwa kwenye akaunti zao benki na usuluhisho wa tofauti ya sh milioni 1.1 kati ya bakaa ya benki na bakaa inayoonyeshwa katika daftari la mapato na matumizi haukufanyika.

Marekebisho yasiyostahili yaliyojumuishwa kwenye hundi ambazo hazijawasilishwa benki ni sh milioni tano, masurufu maalumu ya sh milioni 50.2

CHANZO: Tanzania Daima

KINACHOKWAMISHA VITA DHIDI YA UFISADI NI HUU MTINDO WA KUENDESHA MAMBO KISHKAJI.UKITAFAKARI KAULI YA CHEYO KUHOFIA KUHUSISHA HABARI ZA UFISADI HUO NA HATUA YA SPIKA KUMTOA NJE YA BUNGE HIVI KARIBUNI UTAGUNDUA KUWA BADALA YA MBUNGE HUYO KUSHUGHULIKIA SUALA HILO KAMA MWENYEKITI WA KAMATI HUSIKA,YEYE ANAJIONA KAMA JOHN MOMOSE CHEYO ALIYETOLEWA NJE NA SAMUEL SITTA,BADALA YA OFISI YA BUNGE ILIYO CHINI YA SPIKA NA WATENDAJI KADHAA.

NA UNAFIKI MWINGINE NI WA HAO WABUNGE WALIONUKULIWA KATIKA HABARI HII AMBAYO HAWATAKI KUTAJWA MAJINA KISA WANAOGOPA KUANDAMWA NA WABUNGE WENZAO.KWANI WALIINGIZWA BUNGENI NA HAO WABUNGE WENZAO WANAOWAOGOPA AU WANANCHI HUKO MAJIMBONI?

WIZI MTUPU!

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MWANDISHI MWENZA WA BUNGE LENYE MENO ATIMULIWA BUNGENI NA MWANDISHI MWENZIE (SPIKA SITTA)

Bwana Mapesa,John Momose Cheyo,Mbunge wa Bariadi kwa tiketi ya UDP akitoka nje ya jengo la bunge baada ya kukumbana na makali ya viwango na spidi vya Mheshimiwa Spika Samuel Sitta.Ironically,Cheyo ni mwandishi-mwenza (co-author) wa kitabu BUNGE LENYE MENO.

CHANZO: Jamii Forums

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BUNGE LENYE MENO.....WELL,YA PLASTIKI

Hivi karibuni watunga sheria (wabunge) wetu watatu "waliungana" kuandika kitabu walichokipa jina "BUNGE LENYE MENO".Ukiangalia sehemu ndogo tu ya wasifu wa wabunge hao utamaizi kuwa "muungano huo wa uandishi" ulikuwa ni mithili ya "ndoa za makaratasi" (marriages of inconvenience).

Dkt Wilbroad Slaa,Spika Samuel Sitta na John Momose Cheyo!Nadhani kitu pekee kinachoweza kuwafanya wafanane ni "wote ni wabunge",and the similarity stops there.Wakati Dkt Slaa amejijengea jina kubwa kama kinara wa mapambano ya ufisadi,ni vigumu kum-define Spika Sitta linapokuja suala la mapambano dhidi ya ufisadi.Lakini si vigumu kukumbuka kuwa ni Sitta huyuhuyu aliyempa kadi nyekundu Zitto Kabwe alipombana ex-waziri Nazir Karamagi kuhusu sakata la Buzwagi.Na ni Sitta huyuhuyu aliyetishia kumshtaki Dkt Slaa alipoibua tuhuma ufisadi ndani ya Benki Kuu akidai kuwa ni ushahidi wa kufoji!Eti leo tunaambiwa Spika huyuhuyu nae ni kinara wa mapambano ya ufisadi!

Tukija kwa John Cheyo,nadhani amebaki kuwa UDP,kwa maana ya one-man party.Sera yake ya mapesa ilijaa utani ambao ungekuwa na maana zaidi kwenye sanaa za maigizo kuliko katika siasa makini.Amebaki kuwa jina tu.Sidhani kama kunamfano wowote hai unaoweza kutumika kumtambulisha Cheyo kama mwanaharakati wa mapambano dhidi ya ufisadi.

Sasa hao ndio waandishi wa kitabu BUNGE LENYE MENO.Lakini kwa vile nafahamu kwamba uchambuzi makini unahitaji kwenda mbali zaidi ya kuangalia personalities,naomba kugeukia hoja yangu ya kupingana na ya akina Sitta kuwa bunge la sasa lina meno.Binafsi nasema kama ni meno basi ni ya plastiki.Nadhani unafahamu mtoto mchanga anapoanza kuota meno huwa yanaota meno ambayo yanaitwa meno kwa vile tu yamekaa sehemu yalipo meno.Ukimnywesha uji wa moto basi kilio chake hapo ni balaa!Ni meno machanga yasiyomudu kutafuna vitu vigumu.

Na ndio bunge letu lilivyo.Utasikia kelele,vitisho,na vitu kama hivyo kila waheshimiwa wanapokutana hapo Dodoma ambapo mwisho wa siku akaunti zao zinaingiza kipato cha zaidi ya mwezi mzima kwa Mtanzania wa kawaida,huku kila mwisho wa mwezi wakiondoka na mamilioni lukuki.Basi angalau kipato chao kingeendana na hali halisi ya uchumi wa nchi yetu.

Wabunge wa CCM,ambao wanatengeneza zaidi ya robo tatu ya bunge letu,ndio vichekesho zaidi.Utamsikia huyu akisema hili kabla ya mwenzie kumkalia kooni akitaka mwongozo wa Spika kwa madai ya "kukiuka kanuni za bunge".Lakini ukifuatilia kwa makini,mara nyingi mwongozo huo huombwa pale anapojitokeza mbunge mmoja kuelezea yale yanayozungumzwa na Watanzania wengi mitaani,kwa mfano ishu ya ufisadi.Sasa kwa vile kuna wabunge wenye deni kubwa zaidi kwa CCM na vigogo wake,njia pekee ya kulipa deni hilo ni kuomba mwongozo wa Spika ili kuwaziba midomo wale wanaoongea yasiyopendeza masikioni mwa watawala.

Majuzi,Mbunge wa Nzega Lukas Selelii amemwomba Mungu awalaani mawaziri kwa madai kwamba wamekuwa sehemu muhimu ya maendeleo ya ufisadi nchini.Mbunge wa Pangani Mohammed Rished akaomba mwongozo....sijui kuonyesha anafahamu zaidi sheria za Bunge au kwa vile yaliyoongelewa na Selelii hayakumpendeza mbunge Rished.Kwani si kweli kwamba maamuzi mengi yaliyopelekea skandali za ufisadi yalipitishwa na Baraza la Mawaziri?Kabineti ingetimiza wajibu wake tungekuwa na Richmond?au Kiwira?Au TICTS?au Buzwagi?Au IPTL?Orodha ni ndefu.Sasa Rished alihitaji mwongozo kwa vile Selelii kumuomba Mungu awalaani watu waliofanya maamuzi yaliyopelekea ufisadi ni kosa la jinai au?Halafu tunaambiwa tuna "bunge lenye meno"!In this case,haya wala si meno ya plastiki bali ni mapengo kabisa.

Fuatilia kwa karibu mjadala wa Bajeti unavyoendelea huko Dodoma.Kuna kauli za uchungu kutoka kwa baadhi ya wabunge kama Selelii,Mwambalaswa,Mpendazoe na,kama kawaida,wabunge wa upinzani kama vile Dkt Slaa.Lakini kauli pekee hazimsaidii Mtanzania masikini asiyejua hatma ya maisha yake.Kelele hizi zimekuwepo tangu bunge hili linaanza.Ndio,zimesaidia kuundwa kwa kamati mbalimbali kama ile ya Mwakyembe.Lakini kuunda kamati kisha kutofanyia kazi mapendekezo yake ni sawa na ufisadi tu.Ikumbukwe kuwa kamati hizo hutumia mamilioni ya fedha za walipa kodi.Ukubwa wa gaharama za kuendesha kamati za aina hiyo ungeweza kupunguziwa maumivu laiti mapendekezo yanayotolewa yangekuwa yanafanyiwa kazi.Hadi leo wahusika wa Richmond (achana na yule decoy mwenye kesi mahakamani) wanaendelea "kupeta".

Laiti Bunge lingekuwa na meno,isingetosha kwa Lowassa,Msabaha na Karamagi kujiuzulu tu.Walipaswa wakabidhiwe kwa vyombo vya dola.Kadhalika,watendaji wa serikali waliotajwa kuhusika walipaswa kuwajibishwa mara moja.Badala yake,hadithi zimeendelea kila kinapojiri kikao kingine cha bunge,huko waandishi wetu mahiri wa kunukuu wakija na vichwa vya habari kama "Moto kuwaka Bungeni","Ishu ya EPA kuibuliwa tena Bungeni"...Huwezi kuwalaumu sana kwa vile vyombo vya habari vinaendeshwa kibiashara na kichwa cha habari chenye mvuto kinauza gazeti!

Bunge lenye meno lisingekuwa linapigwa danadana na Waziri Ngeleja kuhusu ishu ya Kiwira.Bunge lenye meno lisingekubali mkataba wa TICTS uendelee kuwa hoja ya moto kila kikao lakini inayoishia kuwa ya moto pasipo mabadiliko,only for it kuwa ya moto tena kwenye kikao kingine.Yayumkinika kusema kuwa kama ni moto wa hoja,basi ni wa njiti ya kiberiti kwenye upepo mkali;hudumu kwa sekunde tu.

Sintajadili zaidi kwa vile itakuwa sawa na kupre-empty muswada wa chapisho naloandaa kama mapitio (majibu?) ya kitabu hicho cha wabunge hao.Ila kwa kifupi,si rahisi kuwa na bunge lenye meno wakati wabunge wenyewe wanaishi maisha tofauti na hao wanaopaswa kuwawakilisha bungeni (nikimaanisha maslahi yao).Tusidanganyane,mtu anayelipwa milioni 6 na ushee kwa mwezi hawezi hata chembe kuwa mwakilishi mzuri wa mtu asiye na uhakika wa kukamata angalau shs 10,000 kwa mwezi.Haya ni matabaka mawili tofauti,na japo kinadharia wabunge wanapaswa kuwa sehemu ya tabaka tawaliwa kwa maana ya uwakilishi wa wananchi,maslahi yao makubwa yanawaingiza kwenye tabaka tawala na hivyo kuwaweka kwenye mgongano wa moja kwa moja direct confrontation) na tabaka tawaliwa la wananchi wa kawaida.Katika hali hiyo,serikali kwa maana ya the executive branch of the government,inapata free pass kwani wanaopaswa kuihoji nao wanajikuta wakihojiwa na wanaowawakilisha.Kiuhalisia,mpiga kura is hardly represented bungeni.

Lakini tukiweka kando suala la kipato na matabaka,tatizo la msingi zaidi kwenye bunge hili ni kutanguliza mbele maslahi ya chama badala ya maslahi ya nchi.Umoja na mshikamano ndani ya CCM unatafsiriwa kuwa ni muhimu zaidi kuliko umoja na mshikamano wa kitaifa.Wengi wa wabunge wa CCM wanahofia kuzungumzia baadhi ya masuala yanayolihusu taifa ambayo kwa namna moja au nyingine yanaifanya CCM inyooshewe kidole.Hakuna mbunge wa CCM anayeweza kuzuia bajeti ya wizara flani,hata kama ni mbovu namna gani,kwa vile akifanya hivyo atatafsiriwa kuwa anavunja mshikamano wa chama.Mbunge katika bunge lenye meno hawezi kuogopa tafsiri ya chama chake,bali wapigakura wake.

Kwa anayehitaji nakala ya bure ya kitabu hicho cha BUNGE LENYE MENO (as an ebook),tuwasiliane.

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SPEAKER SITTA (OF STANDARDS AND SPEED) DEFENDS 12m/= SALARY RISE FOR MPs

(Photo courtesy of ZENJIDAR)

By Rodgers Luhwago, Dodoma

Speaker of the National Assembly Samuel Sitta has sturdily defended the proposal by legislators to increase their monthly package to 12m/- ($9,078), adding that the move has been wrongly judged by critics.

Tanzanian MPs, who currently make 7m/- ($5,292) per month - only 1.8m/- of which is their taxable basic salary - want to increase their base salary to 3m/- and additional allowances to 9m/-.

The proposed 12m/- ($9,078) package would put parliamentarians in the range of Kenya`s MPs, who earn a minimum of Ksh851,000 ($11,335) every month, of which only the basic salary of Ksh200,000 ($2,664) is taxed. Some of the allowances making up additional Ksh651,000 ($8,560) include funds for gym memberships and unspecified ‘entertainment` costs.

Ugandan lawmakers pocket the least of MPs in the region, bringing home Ush2.6m ($1,214) in basic monthly salary and Ush7m ($3,271) including night, subsistence and fuel allowances, according to The Monitor newspaper.

This income is still far above average salaries in most other sectors, the newspaper says.

To put things in perspective, with the proposed salary Tanzanian MPs would make $108,936 per year, while Kenyan MPs currently make $136,020 per year.

Members of Congress in the United States make $174,000 a year, which is all taxable income unlike the Tanzanian and Kenyan salaries.

Tanzania`s GDP is $16.18bn and Kenya’s is $29.3bn, while the United States GDP is around $14 trillion, close to 1,000 times the size of Tanzania`s economy.

Should the proposed increase in pay go through for Parliamentarians, Tanzanian MPs will be earning close to $30,000 more than their South African equivalents, who now earn R714,618 ($79,822) a year after giving themselves an 11 percent annual salary increase effective last April.
But reacting to the ongoing debate about the newly proposed package, the Speaker furiously described the reports as total exaggeration aimed at pursuing a malicious agenda against the legislature.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian on Sunday over the weekend in his Dodoma office, Speaker Sitta said he was surprised at how closely some individuals and members of the press were following legislators` salaries while turning a blind eye to the wages of the other working cadres in the government.

``Is it fair to include a sitting allowance, per diem and other charges into an MP`s monthly pay? Is it also justifiable to include the salary of an assistant to an MP`s monthly pay? By the way, why are MPs the only ones targeted when it comes to emoluments?`` Sitta queried.

He said permanent secretaries, regional and district commissioners, ministers and judges are among the senior working cadres in society but you rarely hear people talking about their earnings.

``Let`s just take a simple example: the fuel charge for the district commission is separately paid, and this applies to the charges for water, electricity and the salary of his aides.

Why don’t you include all this in the DC’s salary? Instead we find it simple to do this to an MP?`` he said.

According to the Speaker, the implementation of the Five-Year Corporate Plan 2009-13 that the Parliament launched mid this week, includes employing research assistants for MPs whose salaries would be paid by the government. ``Is it logical and fair to take the salaries of these research assistants from the legislators’ monthly salaries?`` he asked.

``In the public service sector there is what is described as personal emoluments, which is a salary of the public servant and other charges.

However, due to the absence of MPs` offices in their constituencies, the salaries for their assistants are being included in the legislators` salaries but this does not mean that the whole money belongs to the MP,`` he said.

The Speaker said the allowances paid to the MPs are just the same as the allowances paid to all other public servants of such a rank, adding that all senior officers are paid per diems and sitting allowances.

He said, according to the public service system, per diems and sitting allowances are never taken as an official income of the person.

``In fact the per diem paid to the MPs is sometimes not sufficient when he travels to places like Arusha. We are sometimes forced to pay for hotel accommodation in Arusha.

Now, why make other charges as part of an individual`s income? Very unfortunately this is done to MPs only. No one is saying that permanent secretaries are highly paid,`` Sitta said.

If the same calculations were made for the permanent secretaries, he said, they would be found to be earning between 14m/- and 15m/- per month.

He said people have diverted public attention from deliberating on embezzlement of public funds and corruption to questioning legal expenditures by combining personal income and other charges paid to MPs, describing them as the legislators` monthly salaries.

``Things paid for in the office of the legislator are stationeries, water, power and telecommunication and all this costs 735,000/- per month.

The same items may cost higher in the office of the DC but we don’t include such costs in the DC`s salary,` he said. He said the salary of an MP is 1.8m/-.

The Speaker was reacting to reports that Parliament last year passed the National Assembly Act, 2008 which, among other things, improves legislators` salaries and other charges.

The new Act is expected to be operational after the 2010 general election.

Speaking last Wednesday during the launching of the Five-Year Corperate Plan 2009-2013 Sitta said the Plan aimed at making Parliament an effective institution that is more people-centred.

According to the Speaker, the strategic objectives of the plan include enhancing MPs` overall effectiveness for better service to the general public and enhancing individual effectiveness of MPs by providing them with properly equipped offices at constituencies and Parliament premises.

The plan, which is expected to cost 373.9bn/- during implementation, will involve giving Members of Parliament staff assistants and upgraded data services and constantly reviewing their emoluments and welfare packages to keep MPs and staff appropriately motivated.

Commenting on the for MPs’ per diem and allowances to be taxed, Speaker Sitta said that is subject to the change of the Income Tax Act, 2004.

However, he said if allowances are to be taxed then that has to be applied to all workers in the country and not MPs alone.

``To be frank I don`t agree with people who want allowances to be taxed. You can’t give a person a subsistence allowance and again tax it. It is absolutely meaningless,`` he said.

SOURCE: The Sunday Observer

AT LEAST SOME OF US NOW CAN FINALLY MAKE SENSE WHY HIS HONOURABLE SAMUEL SITTA BRANDED HIMSELF "THE SPEAKER OF STANDARDS AND SPEED."

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SITTA: SERIKALI ISIJE KUNILAUMU....

Spika wa Bunge, Samuel Sitta amesema kuna maazimio mengi ya Bunge ambayo serikali imekuwa inasuasua kuyatekeleza. Kutokana na hali hiyo, amesema katika mkutano ujao wa Bunge wa bajeti, atatekeleza wajibu wake na serikali isije kumlaumu atakapoanza kutekeleza wajibu huo.

Kauli hiyo ya Spika aliitoa kutokana na majibu yaliyotolewa na serikali kupitia Naibu Waziri wa Miundombinu, Hezekiah Chibulunje, alipokuwa akijibu swali la nyongeza la Mbunge wa Vunjo, Aloyce Kimaro (CCM). Mbunge huyo alitaka serikali kuunda kamati huru ambayo itachunguza na kushughulikia waliohusika kuuza nyumba za serikali na kusababisha hasara. Naibu Waziri huyo alisema serikali inatekeleza maazimio ya Bunge ambayo yalitokana na Mbunge huyo kuwasilisha hoja binafsi bungeni....ENDELEA

HII HAIJATULIA.INA MAANA AWALI SPIKA ALIKUWA HATEKELEZI WAJIBU WAKE IPASAVYO NA NDIO MAANA HALAUMIWI AU...?HALAFU HAYA MAMBO YA LAWAMA YANATOKA WAPI WAKATI SPIKA (NA BUNGE) NA SERIKALI HAWAFANYI MAMBO KWA AJILI YAO BINAFSI BALI UMMA WA WATANZANIA?

HIVI BUNGE LETU LIMEGEUKA KUWA MALI YA SPIKA AU SPIKA NI KIONGOZI TU WA BUNGE?MAANA KAMA KUTAKUWA NA LAWAMA (KAMA ANAVYOTAHADHARISHA SPIKA) BASI ZITAELEKEZWA KWA BUNGE NA SIO SPIKA (AMBAYE PIA NI MBUNGE).

OK,TUWEKE HILO KANDO.JE KUNA HAJA YA KUTAHADHARISHANA KWAMBA MSIPOFANYA HIVI MIE NTAFANYA VILE?KWANI HAKUNA UTARATIBU MAALUM WA KUFUATWA PINDI HALI KAMA HIYO ANAYOZUNGUMZIA SPIKA IKITOKEA?

KUBINAFSISHA-IN THE SENSE KWAMBA NIKISEMA INYESHE ITANYESHA OR VICE VERSA- TAASISI KAMA BUNGE NI HATARI.

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