Tanzania peer review process gets MPs boost
By Special Correspondent, Dar es Salaam – As the Tanzanian government risks not being assessed by the external mission of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) due to an outstanding member fees to the regional body, the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security has vowed to re-invigorate the process.
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM-Tanzania) Executive Secretary, Ms Rehema Twalib, told the parliamentary committee over the week end that the country needed to pay a total of $700,000 (equivalent to Sh1.07bn) in member fees which was not paid over the last six years.
It is understood that while APRM is crown as the jewel of NEPAD and credited by international bodies including the UN, most member states have been sluggish in paying their annual fees. Earlier this year, representatives of member states sitting in Addis Ababa condemned the situation and advised that such countries, including Tanzania, should not be peer reviewed.
Among the challenges facing the governance institution in Tanzania, according to the Deputy Chair of the APRM Tanzania, National Governing council (NGC), Oliva Kinabo is lack of enough budget allocation.
She asked the Parliamentary Committee to complement efforts made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which promised to liaise with the treasury to see how to solve the problems.
The Acting Chair to the Committee, Mussa Azzan, said the challenges facing APRM Tanzania are real and have to be worked on to find a lasting solution. “The aims of APRM are very open; this is an institution that will help our country self its people better. Today we have heard about the challenges facing you. We promise to work hard on our part to find solutions because good enough our committee has some top politicians in this land so we can move things, “said Mr. Azzan.
