We are proud to state that this time around we the NSAs have done our home work very well in that they have produced a report which gives a general overview of the NSAs contribution to the implementation and actualization of the National Strategy for Growth and Poverty Reduction (MKUKUTA). This report was produced prior to the joint MKUKUTA Review and the Public Expenditure Review meeting.

 

The non-state actor further refined their position using the contributions which were made by the NSAs who attended the joint PER and MKUKUTA Review Meeting.

 

The comments, suggestions and recommendations contained in this communiqué because they add the NSA perception and comments made on the various presentations made during the just ended Joint PPW and PER meeting.   

 

Overall the NSAs would like to commend the government for the somewhat sound economic management, which has since 2005 seen an impressive performance on the indicators of annual inflation, central government revenue as a percentage of the GDP, fiscal deficit and the external debt serving as a percentage of export.

 

However, the NSAs note with remorse that the trend in the above state indicators show a reversal in the indicators outlined above the most notable being the inflation rate which has exceed the two digit mark and now stands at 11.98% a factor which makes Tanzania to be off truck meeting the target of a sustained 6% to 8 % inflation rate up to the MKUKUTA deadline of 2010.

 

“Economic growth remains stunted because the government has despite the loudly sang song of agriculture being the main economic stay of Tanzania not given the sector the prominence it deserves in that it only allocates 6.2% of the budget to agriculture”, notes the NSAs.  

 

The NSAs further congratulate the government for adopting IFMS and PETS to establish the value for money that development aid and internal revenue bringing about.

 

Another significant actuality noted by NSAs from the Joint PPW and PER meeting has been the choice by the government to openly admit that there are some flaws in the disbursement of budget to the district council, such as huge amounts of money which is meant for the district councils which remains unexpended, government attributes this to the LGA lack of capacity to spend the resources.

 

The NSAs feel this is a positive stand in ensuring genuine political will to remedy the supply side flaws in the MKUKUTA implementation of the process.

 

This was supported through exchange of views by the government and development partners regarding delayed funds disbursement of General Budget Support (GBS). The government blamed said failure to implement certain developmental aspects of MKUKUTA was partly due to delay in disbursement of fund by the development partners, a factor which was refuted by the later (development partners).

 

NSAs note that despite the short-comings of the first and second Poverty Reduction Strategy Program, the government is set to implement its third stage of the program, without consultation on whether it was needed.     

 

“While we decry the growing spite of strikes and students boycotts in the country due to their negative impact on the economic performance on one hand, we are on the other hands asking the government to critically look into the root causes of the strikes and boycotts and bring them to an amicable ending”, says the NSAs.

 

 

The above statement is a reaction to the popular government and development partner’s perspective shown in the joint PPW and PER meeting, an issue which was not accepted by the NSAs.

 

Based on the above stated facts and actual interaction with the poorest sections of the population, the NSAs are saying that the glittering statistics will only be meaningful to the majority of the poor Tanzanians— if government can interpret them into improved health, nutrition and sustainable livelihoods for the majority of impoverished Tanzanians.

 

·        Government has done fairly well in some aspects of MKUKUTA implementation especially on access to education and health services, but there is still need to work on the quality aspects.

·        The data analysis provided in the PPW and PER of 2008 has been a more comprehensive assessment of the results achieved than last year’s analysis. However, there is need for checking them before the results are presented to the PPW.

·        Regarding areas for further improvement. Not much emphasis has been put on consideration of the participation of women, youth and the disabled in the development process. Emphasis should be put on the disabled. 

·        In spite of the use of IFMS and PETS, there is need for strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, budgeting and planning processes, including the MTEF and analysis of alternative scenarios;

·        In the light of such scandals as the EPA there is need for government to tighten loopholes, check the drivers of corruption and show genuine commitment to enhance good-governance;

·        Government has not done well on the dealing with the drivers of economic growth, notably by enhancing agricultural.

·        Government is under estimating the possible impact that the current global economic melt down would have on Tanzania, when it says that Tanzania will not be badly hit because it is not every much integrated in the global economy.

·        Reduction of the number of people living in abject poverty still remains a problem.

·        That if nothing is done to improve the citizenry’s overall finance and resource management, and the understanding of the LGA process there will be no meaningful citizen’s participation in the MKUKUTA process at the sub-national level.

·        Government has not yet put a premium on providing equity for investment in the key economic growth-drivers, among them the agriculture sector.

·        There still continues to be poor collaboration between NSAs and the Local Government Authorities (LGA).

·        There are conflicting policies especially in regard to investment, such that the policies are more favorable to external than internal investors.

·        The NSAs note that in regard to sector performance and addressing identified weaknesses in the investment climate, proposed measures include:-

-         public infrastructure -, and improving natural resources management;

-         Strengthening fiscal intergovernmental relations and LGAs capacity

-         Addressing the human resources shortages in key services sectors; and

-          Implementing prudent macroeconomic policies that achieve stated objectives for economic stability. The government has up to date not done very well in these areas.

 

The above stated position by the NSAs is supported by the preliminary conclusions of the 2006/2008 Household Budget Survey, which state that: -

Ø      There has been substantial improvement in schooling, but no changes in curative health services use, hence apparent shift should be to using more government services.

Ø      There is worsening of water supplies and no improvements in sanitation.

Ø      Continuing shift from farming to other activities

Ø      No changes in the inequality on “poverty” consumption aggregate: but increase with overall consumption aggregate, just to mention a few.

 

Ø     NSAs have greatly contributed to the eradication of non-income poverty by providing jobs and sustainable livelihoods to the Youth, Disabled, Women and people living at abject poverty.

Ø     Regarding priority two which is about improved welfare; the NSAs hereby say that this is one area in which NSAs have had great impact. The impact has been in terms of advocating for equal opportunities for all, a better quality of education, clean and safe water, an HIV/Aids free society, general health related and reproductive health rights.

Ø     NSAs have also done much in regard to effective resource management, the NSA have blown the whistle and challenged the government and development partners to be responsive to the needs of people and ensuring the participation of ordinary citizens in the national development process.

 

Ø     There is need to improve participation of NSAs in the planning and implementation of the MKUKUTA and the forthcoming 3^rd generation PRSPs.

Ø     To deliberately work of the relation between NSAs and the Government at all levels of national development.

Ø     Both government and NSAs need to work on improving transparency and genuine commitment to a certain development cause.

Ø     NSAs feel that government can do better in terms of setting indicators for poverty reduction (the number of people owing cell phones is not an exhaustive way of accessing the level of poverty).

Ø     Budget planning and allocations should be based on the needs of the citizens especially those at the sub-national levels, this calls for a revisit of the participation framework so as to make them effective.

Ø     Government should provide capacity building for LGAs so as to develop the skills needed for effective budgeting.