The Prevention and Combating Corruption Bureau (PCCB) in Tanga region has managed to recover outstanding debt amounting to 439m/-, which were issued to special groups through the local government’s 10 percent loan programme.

The regional PCCB commander Victor Swella told journalists recently that from January to March this year, they have succeeded to collect such amount as outstanding dues from beneficiaries whose their times of repayment have been passed.

PCCB has earlier observed that about 2.1bn/- outstanding debt, as part of ten percent local government loan disbursed by Tanga City council to special groups of youths, women and people with disabilities were not repaid as repayment periods were already passed.

“We observed that the reasons for delaying repayment including beneficiaries being not aware of the signed contracts with city council on time of loans repayment,” he said.

He said among the strategies and steps PCCB took after received report from Tanga City council including brought together beneficiaries and city council officials and set out a plan on how they can repay their outstanding dues to City council and until the end of February over 439m/- was paid.

"After applying these efforts, we have also started to make efforts to ensure that the remaining outstanding debts amounting to 1,712,950,600.00/-is paid back to the City council," said Swella.

He said failure to comply with loans repayment procedures for ten percent loans was explained as one among factors that are causing city council officials to face difficulties when it comes into collecting the loans repayment. 

He also said that, within that time, the bureau officials have managed to visit and monitoring the implementation of 46 development projects worth 8,041,998,680.00/- into priority social and economic sectors such as roads, education, health and water.

The PCCB commander said that they observed about shortcomings into 32 projects worth 4,866,068,966.00/- and issued an advices to responsible authorities to correct and working with fault.