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How people reflect on the coming budget
2008-02-10 09:53:17
By Business Writer
Four months from now Tanzanians will have a new budget, yet Steve Kagombolwa is worried that unless something is done urgently, rising prices of food, energy and construction items will negatively impact on the government stated aim to bring quality life to the people.
In the current financial year, the government gave to education the biggest cake, part of the drive towards a more literate nation.
The Sh6.066 trillion ($6 billion) budget saw Sh1.0 trillion ($900 billion) equal to 18 per cent of the budget going to education.
Infrastructure got Sh777.2 billion ($720 million) equivalent to 12.8 per cent; Health, Sh589 billion ($530 million); agriculture Sh379.5 billion ($350 million) and water Tsh309 billion ($290 million).
But the agriculture sector on which over 80 per cent of the population depended, and is termed the country\'s economic backbone was left with little hope of improvement as it was allocated Sh379.578 billion ($350 million), accounting for 6.3 per cent of the budget.
``It was not bad to channel such a big chunk of the budget to education.
But it is now the turn of agriculture and infrastructure to get a bigger chunk in the coming budget to help farmers produce more efficiently and access markets,`` says Kagombolwa.
``It`s equally important to look at the outstanding issues such as energy.
Energy prices should be affordable, so as to light up more homes, schools to make the learning environment comfortable and also stabilize the productive sector to make life even better.``
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