CIS TANZANIA FUNDS NEED TO BE LEGALLY DETERMINED

EDITOR THISDAY 3rd February, 2009
DAR ES SALAAM

A GOOD number of Tanzanians had an opportunity to lay their hands on Commodity Import Support (CIS) funds decades ago. Unlike the controversial external payment arrears (EPA) account funds which were obtained in a crooked manner, CIS funds were loaned legally. The controversy however, is that some of the beneficiaries thought it was business as usual and that they won’t be required to repay the money.

Some 180bn/- was paid to 900 companies which have failed to repay the money to the government on time. Worried that most of the beneficiaries were reluctant to repay the loans, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs commissioned a debt collector sometime last year.

The debtor collector, Msolopa Investments Company, says some defaulters are refusing to repay, issue arrogant responses while others seem unconcerned with what is happening. Less than 50 per cent of the funds have been recovered and Msolopa says the defaulters, who include prominent politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats, will soon be named and shamed.

We support the debt collector’s efforts to take on these defaulters who are part of a scheme which has siphoned billions of shillings from public coffers, government agencies and parastatals which went bankrupt several years ago. We however, urge authorities to ensure that the defaulters face the full wrath of the law and be compelled to repay the money which they owe Tanzanian taxpayers.

Businessmen who have crafted themselves as successful law abiding citizens, politicians who have stood tall and conspicuous in defending graft and bureaucrats who assisted and benefited from such crooked arrangements, must be named, shamed and taken to court.

Continued dilly dallying on the part of relevant government organs to hold these crooked debtors responsible is of concern to taxpayers whose hard work and commitment to develop this country have ended up enriching a few selfish, greedy individuals. It’s time we held people who are occupying or occupied position of authority or the privileged class in the country, responsible for abusing the trust which we gave them.

We hope that conclusion of Msolopa’s task will lead to the next stage -- prosecution of the defaulters. Responsible government offices, including the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) will waste no time to ensure that the defaulters’ next stage is Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam and ultimately Keko or Segerea prisons, which is where such personalities belong to.