9bn/- budget for urban local govt strengthening plan

Hawa Ghasia, Minister of State Prime Minister's office Regional Administration and Local Government

The government plans to spend 9bn/- in the implementation of a five year Urban Local Government Strengthening Programme (ULGSP) in 18 district councils countrywide, Parliament was told yesterday in Dodoma.

The plan was made public by the Minister of State Prime Minister’s office Regional Administration and Local Government Hawa Ghasia, when responding to a question posed by the Lindi Urban Legislator Salum Barwany (CUF) during the question and answer session.


The MP wanted information as to the distribution of funds for implementation of the programme in the Lindi District Council. He also wanted to why damaged infrastructures were not fixed particularly the Buguruni –Malapa street lights in Dar es Salaam.

Responding, Minister Ghasia said during this financial year, the government has set aside 9bn/- to implement the ULGSP programme across 18 district councils and Lindi municipality is one of the council that are to benefit from the programme.
She also explained that the distribution of funds for the programme is based on population demand not the number of wards.

On Buguruni – Malapa street lights, she blamed vandalism for their damage and that when arrested, the government has prosecuted them. She also recounted their installation under the Community Infrastructure Upgrading Programme in Madenge and Malapa at a total cost of 1.6bn/- in funding from World Bank. 

“The project also involved construction of 3.23km tarmac road at Mnyamani area and a rain drainage system,” she said but fell short of answering as to why the government has not fixed the damaged infrastructure.

In another development, Ghasia made it clear that the government has no intention to pay Kibondo village for mobile phone towers constructed around the area.

She was responding to a question by Muhambwe Member of Parliament Felix Mkosamali (NCCR –Mageuzi) who wanted to know if the villages which agreed to allow the construction of communication towers within their area will be compensated.

He also wanted to know if the tower operators are paying the Kibondo District council, to which the minister said the district council will receive 6m/- yearly after completion of the project and that Kibondo village will get 20 percent of the income from Kibondo District council.