Mahojiano ya Zitto Mlimani Tv(Keki ya Taifa) kuhusu Posho za Wabunge

Mahojiano MlimaniTV Part 1

Mahojiano MlimaniTV Part 2

Mahojiano MlimaniTV Part 3

Mahojiano MlimaniTV Part 4

Scrap Sitting Allowances, Create Jobs

By Zitto Kabwe

Our Parliament

For the last two weeks there has been a fierce debate on allowances given to members of parliament fuelled by recent revelations by two leading dailies Mwananchi and The Citizen. The revelations were first denied by the Clerk of the National Assembly but later in a swift move confirmed by the Speaker.

Members of Parliament herein referred as MPs are entitled to various allowances in conducting their affairs. According to the National Assembly administration act these are subsistence allowance, travel allowances, constituency allowance and for those holding parliamentary portfolios a responsibility allowance. Sitting allowance is paid to MPs everyday he or she attends a committee meeting or parliamentary debate. However this allowance is not mentioned in the law. Currently an MP receives TZS 70,000 ($40) a day as sitting allowance.

A member of Parliament in Tanzania receives a monthly salary as a renumeration for the legislative, representative and oversight role he or she does. On top of that he or she is paid for sitting! Sounds ridiculous for sure.

During the 5th session of Parliament which ended in November 2011, MPs lobbied for an increase in allowances claiming that costs of living have skyrocketed. MPs are paid per diem to cover costs of living, but in an interesting move the Parliamentary service commission passed a resolution to increase a sitting allowance to TZS 200,000 ($130) a day.

Sitting allowance doesn’t address the challenge of cost of living, it is subsistence allowance that is pegged to costs of living. I asked one of my colleague who serves in the Parliamenatary Service Commission about this and she said, per diem applies to all civil servants so an increment to it would mean an increment to all civil servants so it must be avoided. And they did avoid and went ahead directing The Clerk to effect new rates. The Clerk refused as the law requires that the President of the United Republic approve the new increment in writing. Hence the divided stand between the Clerk and the Speaker. When the news reached investigative and news hungry editors of the media the difference between them was all out and the public outcry was huge.

The President hasnt approved the new increment so far, some credible sources say that Speaker didn’t even attempt to send the requests to the President. The Parliamentary Service Commission met over the weekend and revoked their proposal. Media has played its role and the public won. A senior parliamentary staff told me the other day, that the whole matter was a hoax. MPs pressured the Speaker to increase allowances and even threatened her that she will be relieved from her post. Speaker in turn pressured the Clerk to pay new rates contrary to the laws and regulations. Public through media pressured both of them and the President did not dare increase the sitting allowances rate. So far the public has won.

Is it a temporary victory? Definitely yes.

The highest prize is scrapping sitting allowances regime altogether. Paying an MP for sitting isn’t justified. The public, NGOs/civil society organisations and the media should campaign towards this to the very end. The allowances culture is killing our Nation as it misdirect public funds from public investments to current spending. It kills our working culture as public office holders keep attending meeting after meeting to earn sitting allowances instead of working.

Our country faces mountain of challenges, it requires us to work and create an enabling environment for economic activities that create jobs, add value to our produce, increase our exports, produce more food and generate more electricity. Otherwise no one will call us a nation.

Scrap sitting allowances, create jobs to the people.

Msimamo wangu: Kupandisha posho za wabunge ni ukichaa na kutojali Hali ya Nchi

Nimeshtushwa sana na taarifa za kupandishwa kwa posho za vikao kwa Wabunge. Nimeshtushwa zaidi kwamba Posho hizi zimeanza kulipwa katika mkutano wa Bunge uliopita kabla hata Rais hajaamua maana maslahi yote ya Wabunge huamuliwa na Rais Baada ya kupokea mapendekezo ya Bunge kupitia Tume ya Bunge.

Wabunge wote watambue kwamba kuamua kujipandishia posho zao bila kuzingatia Hali ya maisha ya mwananchi wa kawaida ni usaliti usio na mfano. Mbunge yeyote ambaye anabariki Jambo hili au anaishi hewani haoni tabunza wananchi au ni mwizi tu na anaona Ubunge ni Kama nafasi ya kujitajirisha binafsi.

Kwa Wabunge wa Chadema, wajue uamuzi kuhusu posho ni uamuzi wa chama na ni uamuzi wa kisera. Mbunge yeyote wa Chadema anayepokea posho za vikao anakwenda kinyume na maamuzi ya sera za chama tulizoahidi wananchi wakati wa uchaguzi. Nimemwomba Katibu Mkuu wa chama kuitisha kikao maalumu cha Kamati Kuu ya chama kujadili suala hili.

Toka tarehe 8 juni mwaka 2011 nilikataa kupokea posho za vikao. Popote ninapohudhuria vikao huomba Risiti ya fedha ninazokataa. Baadhi ya Wabunge Kama Januari Makamba wamekataa posho na hata kwenye semina ya kamati ya nishati alikataa na tumeona kwenye vyombo vya habari jina lake likiwa limekatwa ilhali viongozi wakubwa kabisa wamechukua posho. Nampongeza kijana mwenzangu kwa uzalendo huu. Nawataka wabunge wengine wenye Moyo wa dhati kukataa sio tu ongezeko hili la posho Bali posho yote ya vikao. Kwa nini mbunge akubali kulipwa kwa kukaa?

Tazama nchi hii, juzi serikali ilipokea Msaada wa tshs 20bn kwa ajili ya Sensa ya mwakani wakati wabunge wanalipwa 28bn Kama posho za kukaa tu.

Tanzania inaagiza gesi ya matumizi ya nyumbani kutoka nje kwa kutumia mamilioni ya dola za kimarekani. Kuwanda cha kutengeneza LPG kinagharimu tshs 35bn tu, Wabunge peek Yao kwa mwaka wanatumia 28bn kwa posho za kukaa tu achilia mbali mishahara na marupurupu mengine.

Ipo siku Watanzania watatupiga mawe kwa usaliti huu dhidi yao.

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June 10, 2011-Barua: Posho za Vikao

Update: Posho za Vikao- Majibu ya Ofisi ya BUNGE na Uamuzi Wangu (June 11, 2011)

June 19, 2011- SUALA LA POSHO ZA VIKAO: WAZIRI MKUU-ANAPASWA KUCHUKUA HATUA MBILI, AFUKUZWE AU AJIUZULU!

October 10, 2011-#1 Say NO to Posho!

October 14,2011-#2 Say NO to posho!

#2 Say NO to posho!

Receipt for saying no to 3 days of posho (sitting allowance) after participating in Controller and Auditor General (CAG) Training Workshop for oversight parliamentary committees in Morogoro on October 13 2011.

#1 Say NO to Posho!

Last week I attended four meetings in Kigoma in my capacity (and as part of my job, which people elected me to do) as MP of Kigoma Kaskazini.

I attended meetings at the Constituency Development Fund Committee, District Council, Road Board and Regional Consultative (RCC). In all of these meetings participants are ‘entitled’ to receive posho (sitting allowance).

This is how to say NO to posho and stand by it:

Say NO to Sitting Allowance

In keeping with my stand I said NO to the posho. However, I signed for it and took it – in order then to go round the technicality of returning back the posho to the Government to show that my statement is not just rhetoric but action.

We have to walk the talk.

Above photo illustrates the receipt showing the payment I made back to the Government for the Road Board meeting.

Let’s cut down on unnecessary expenditure and direct this money to our development budget to spur development and growth.

TUNAWEZA!

Please, do also read Policy Forum’s report ‘Why we must abolish ‘sitting allowance’.