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Opposition wants govt to come out clear on Meremeta
2008-07-09 09:42:12
By Hannah Mwandoloma, Dodoma
The opposition camp yesterday querried over government secrecy in Parliament in regard to the scam behind the ownership of Meremeta Gold Mining Company Limited.
Tabling the views of opposition on the 2008/2009 budget estimates Energy and Minerals shadow minister Mohamed Mnyaa said that when the government fails to give clear details about issues like Meremeta it leave room for curiosity and rumours.
Mnyaa, (Mkanyageni, CUF) said that the public needs to know who owns the company, and the number of shares it has.
``We also need to know who are London Law Services and London Secretarial Services. There must be explanation on this. It seems like the government is afraid of putting things clearly in public. We have said it before that the parliamentary committee concerned should at least know the truth about Meremeta,``he said.
He said there had been contradicting information from various quarter of the government about the company.
Quoting the Minister for Energy and Minerals in a response to Dr Wilbrod Slaa`s (Chadema, Karatu) question over the same issue Mnyaa said Meremeta was not sold to any company, but instead all debts were transferred to Tangold, which was under government ownership.
He said the response was confusing, noting that if the government bought the company, who was its previous prior to the purchase.
Mnyaa also asked why Meremeta was under the Tanzania People`s Defense Force (TPDF).
Moreover, Mnyaa said that Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda`s statement that Meremeta was under the wonsership of TPDF as an excuse for not discussing it in Parliament was a disappointing clarification.
"What we don't understand is that the share holders of Meremeta are foreigners. Does the government therefore want to tell us that 'high' matters of the nation are safer with foreigners than the Members of Parliament?" he queried.
He added that the House would not buy the statement that the government cannot say a word about the company.
He said: ``gold is business and there is no confidentiality about it to the Parliament.``
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