Sikika demands an end to luxury spending of public money

Sikika Executive Director, Irenei Kiria said in Dar es Salaam last Friday that public procurement remains one of the single largest loop-hole through which money is lost through graft.

Kiria said gave an example where Controller and Auditor General found air tickets bought at as high as 50 percent of the genuine price.

“Public procurement of goods and services account for a huge part of the government’s expenditure budget annually and therefore needs closer scrutiny.

The Government Procurement Services Agency (GPSA) is responsible for preparing frameworks contracts and setting of standard prices for commonly used item to ensure that suppliers, contractors and service providers offer fair and reasonable princes,” Kiria argued.

The Sikika chief urged GPSA to ensure that procurement officers comply with procurement laws noting that this also applies to parliament which scrutinises government budget and has access to the MTEF.

The local NGO’s boss further urged the government to unveil the budget to the public beforehand, so that Parliamentarians, businesses, independent organisations, press and the ‘wananchi’ get enough time to debate and furnishes their views on how to improve the government budget.

“It is important for ministerial and other public institutions’ MTEF books, to be to be made public as soon as possible before the debating the budget in House.

In fact for the legislators, it is required by the Standing Orders, that they should be provided with the said books 21 days before Budget House starts.”

Moreover, Kiria lamented that the budget books are presented to lawmakers a few days before the parliament starts its marathon budget session hence denying them time to peruse and identify issues of national importance.

An MTEF consists of top-down resource envelop, a bottom-up estimation of current and medium-term (usually a 3-5 year period) costs of existing policies.

It also matches these costs with available resources which usually take place in the context of annual budget process.

In fact, MTEF shifts the psychology of budgeting from ‘needs’ to an ‘availability of resources’ mentality.
Sikika is a health advocacy local NGO registered in the country with national-wide mandate in health governance.

Established in 1999 as Youth Action Volunteers (YAV), the organization has transformed in many ways.

The NGO has transformed from youth in reproductive health to broader fundamental health outcomes namely Health care Governance and Financing, Human Resources for Health, Medicines and Medical Supplies and HIV & AIDS.