Parliamentary Committee for Social Service yesterday urged the government to practically implement the Abuja Declaration by allocating 15 per cent of its budget to the health sector. Committee’s Chairperson Margaret Sitta made the call in the House when presenting the annual report of the committee’s activities from January 2014 to January 2015. She said in 2001 Tanzania and other African countries ratified the Abuja Declaration (2001), which requires the signatories to allocate 15 per cent of the total government budget towards the health sector.“But, until now, Tanzania is yet to achieve the 15 per cent target,” Sitta the House.
In the 2011/12, fiscal year the government had only allocated 8.9 percent of its total budget to the health sector. “While the international commitment was made to improve the wellbeing of Tanzanian citizens, the government’s commitment to re-focus its own resources to the health sector,” the chair said, calling on the government to increase other sources of funding to reach the Abuja declaration.
The committee however suggested the need for the government to empower the Medical Stores Department (MSD) financially. “We are asking the government to empower MSD be able to purchase medical facilities for hospitals, health centres and dispensaries,” the chairperson said, urging the government to settle the 93.3bn/- owed by MSD.
She suggested the need for the treasury to reduce bureaucracies when it comes to dishing-out money for MSD buying medical facilities. Sitta suggested the need for the National Assembly to come up with a law that will put in place special arrangement whereby MSD money allocated directly should be spent for the intended purposes as it is the case with road funds.
“We are asking the government to timely release the money so that MSD can buy medicines and distribute them in time.” The committee also suggested the need for the government to ensure upcountry referral, regional and district hospitals, are empowered so that they are able to treat cancer disease cases.
The chairperson said the Ocean Road Hospital Cancer Institute is currently overwhelmed with cancer patients.“If upcountry hospitals were empowered, patient congestion at the Ocean Road Hospital Cancer Institute might have been reduced,” the MP said.The committee also urged the government to expedite the process of establishing Teachers’ Service Commission, in an effort to address challenges facing the teaching profession in the country.
Debating the committee annual report, Special Seats MP, Lita Kabati (Special Seats-CCM) suggested the need for the government to transform Education Inspection Unit to be an independent agency.
She also asked the government to come up with the law that will help in addressing the challenges facing domestic workers, saying: “This is one of the vulnerable groups which is not taken care off, that’s why I think it is high time for the government to come up with a law that would protect their interests. There are many housemaids out there who are harassed and they have no where to go.”
The MP also suggested the need for district councils across the country to ensure they allocate 10 per cent of their income for women (5 per cent) and youth (5 per cent) to accelerate socio-economic development. Chairman Parliamentary Committee for Community Development, Said Mtanda also urged the government to empower Tanzania Women Bank (TWB) by giving it 15bn/- for the smooth running of their operations. “This amount will help to make the bank reach women who are in need of the service across the country,” he emphasised.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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