Former Prime Minister Frederick Sumaye (L) meets
prominent newsman Jenerali Ulimwegu at the Open University of Tanzania
(OUT) in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
..............................................................
The former premier made the observation
yesterday in Dar es Salaam in an event to mark the 20th anniversary of
The Open University of Tanzania (OUT).
Sumaye was speaking about challenges that the country faces in efforts to alleviate poverty among its citizens.
He said good governance which covers
transparency, respect of human rights and rule of law is an integral
part in the development of any society.
Lack of good governance, absence of
practice of transparency and violation of human rights and rule of law
are mentioned as challenges that Tanzania faces in its efforts in
poverty alleviation.
In many African countries, including
Tanzania, development is being held back because of the negative
conditions, the former prime minister said.
He added that bad governance is
characterised by corruption whereby only few people benefit from
abundant natural resources, leaving the majority living in extreme
poverty.
With bad governance corruption is usually
rampant, only few people close to the rulers, like brothers and sisters
benefit, but with good governance corruption has no room,” Sumaye said.
He likened to ‘Scramble for Africa’ the
rate at which developed countries take away the natural resources from
the continent, leaving it with almost nothing.
Sumaye said this is another challenge African countries face as they struggle to bring about development to their people.
Unfair international trade in which
African products fare poorly in the in world, poor technology and lack
of capital are other challenges for the country.
“Unsupportive policies to development in
the private sector make investors quit investing in the country because
they fear to run their business at risk,” he warned.
The government needs to change policies by
creating good environment, ensure availability of electricity, water,
trained personnel to attract both local and foreign investors.
He cited poor trade among Africans is
another barrier for the continent in eliminating poverty and urged
African leaders to form and strengthen economic groupings.
“The degree of trading among Africans
themselves is lower compared to the percentage between Africa and
developed countries; we need to form economic groupings like ECOWAS,” he
said.
Good governance is crucial as it looks
after the interests of the public and not after personal interests and
that it will alleviate poverty, the former premier stressed.
Sumaye said it is important to have a
government that will be accountable and that will use public properties
for public gain, respect human rights and rule of law.
“If we need to move we must have good
governance with zero tolerance to corruption so that public benefits
from the abundant natural resources,” he said.
Leaders who misuse public resources should
severely be punished because in corruption there is tax evading and
only the poor suffer because of those tax evaders, Sumaye said.
He emphasized the need for the country to
have manufacturing industries to process local raw resources instead of
exporting them to developed countries and which are finally sold back to
the country at exorbitant prices.
Another speaker on the occasion was Dr
Khatib Kazungu who said the government needs to implement good
agricultural policies and industrialise in order to avoid and alleviate
poverty among its people.
Meanwhile, Prof Joseph Mbwiliza insisted
the government should invest in livestock sector, improve technology and
have think tank to enable it succeed in its mission.
OUT is commemorating its 20th anniversary
in which different public lectures have been delivered by various
experts and public figures as the way to help the government solve
various problems, particularly poverty that the public is facing.
SOURCE:
GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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