The Controller and Auditor General needs to conduct a real time audit of the newly allocated funds to prevent mismanagement, he added.

Twaha Mpembenwe (Kibiti), the parliamentary Budget committee vice chairman, made this appeal to the National Assembly as it approved an additional of 945.7bn/- in supplementary budget provisions for fiscal 2024/25.

The new funds bring to 50.29trn/- total estimated provisions, from 49.34trn/- earlier, where the committee leader insisted on ensuring proper utilisation of new funds.

 He told MPs that when funds are made available late in the financial year, there is a tendency to misuse funds and return unspent funds to the Treasury.

Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, the Finance minister, said at the closing meeting of the February session of the legislature that of the supplementary funds, 325.9bn/- is intended for settling outstanding debts to civil servants, contractors and local suppliers.

A portion will be used to finance the construction of government infrastructure in the Mtumba area of the capital, he said.

Segments of the funds will be directed to addressing critical needs in education, healthcare, tourism and initiatives aimed at combating the impacts of climate change, he said.

The allocations reflect the vision of a skilled workforce by ensuring effective implementation of the new vocational education curriculum, he stated.

Allocations will similarly enable the government to ensure sustainable provision of health services in most areas, as allocations have been carefully designed to support sector priorities, he explained.

There is also consideration for agreements with development partners and recommendations from the parliamentary Budget committee,” he elaborated.

The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology receives 131.4bn/- to support the new vocational curriculum, covering the construction of vocational secondary schools, purchasing teaching materials, and recruitment of teachers, he said.

VETA colleges will also be completed, along with a new building for the Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE), alongside infrastructure development at the Nelson Mandela University in Arusha. Building an adult education institute and a library in Mwanza are also envisaged, he said.

A total of 53.7bn/-will be used for purchasing medicines, medical equipment and supplies, while the Regional Administration and Local Governments ministry in the President’s Office (PO-RALG) will receive 173.7bn/- to fund infrastructure projects in the health and education sectors.

The financing is also meant to enable the Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) to repair roads and bridges damaged during the last rainy season, he said.

The Natural Resources and Tourism ministry gets 260.7bn/- for road infrastructure rehabilitation in protected areas, including the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) and various national parks.

These additional funds came from external sources, he said, noting that the government had received 460bn/- from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and 130bn/- from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the end of last year, funds that were not part of the year’s approved budget.

“These AfDB funds were originally part of the 2023/24 budget, but were delayed and entered the government’s consolidated fund in 2024/25,” he specified.

The government expects to receive 356bn/- from the IMF during the final stages of fiscal 2024/25, also falling outside the approved budget, he said.

Submitting a budget amendment for parliamentary approval complies with the constitutional requirements of Article 137(2) and Section 43 of the Budget Act, Chapter 439, he said.

The committee vice chairman said that the government must adhere to the list of strategic health centers to be constructed in each constituency, which had already been provided by the legislature.

The committee intends to monitor the allocation of funds and the construction of the health centers over next month, he said, cautioning against discrepancies in the list.

The committee will recommend appropriate actions to Parliament if irregularities are noticed, he said.

He stated that PO-RALG had completed an assessment of financial needs for completing unfinished buildings nationwide, identifying that 228.24bn/- is required. The proposed 71bn/- allocation would reduce the construction burden by at least 31.1 percent, he declared.

“The committee urges the government to ensure that the distribution of the funds is based on the needs, economic conditions of local councils, and their revenue capacities, ensuring equitable allocation. “We do not expect any constituency to disproportionately benefit without considering these factors,” he further stated.

The government needs to present a list of buildings to be completed as soon as possible so that MPs can visit to verify them, he added.