Hard times ahead for government
The Speaker of the National assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, has told ministers to change to escape frequent cabinet reshuffles.
Speaking shortly before adjourning the 14th Parliament seating
yesterday, Ms Makinda noted that MPs, through their standing committees,
have shown that they were determined to keep the ministers on their
toes.
“As much as we will continue to have standing committee reports here, be
assured that we will be hearing of scandals each year if you ministers
continue to live and operate in the old days. We need to change,” Ms
Makinda said. She spoke after prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda presented
his speech to conclude the Bunge session.
The Speaker said what had happened should be a wake up call to ministers
whom he warned against the tendency of depending on their subordinates
and executives on sensitive public issues.
Ms Makinda said changes instituted in the budget cycle also calls for
change in government operations if the new system is to succeed. “If the
government does not change in its operation, the new budget cycle will
be meaningless,” she said of the approach for Parliament to reverse the
old system of only approving funds without fisrt establishing how the
previsous year’s were used.
She noted for instance that reports show that only small fraction of
development funds have been released in the first quarter of the
financial year while the Parliament asked the government borrow money to
ensure smooth take off of the new system.
“But, if we continue to depend on TRA (Tanzania Revenue Authority) and
Finance Ministry alone, we will not reach anywhere… the tax collector
should also ensure that he doesn’t stop his work because under the new
system the Finance Act allows him to do so from July 1 each year,” she
said.
In his Bunge adjourning speech, Premier Pinda thanked the MPs for the
in-depth debate which led to the resignation of four ministers. He also
thanked the ministers for accepting to take responsibility for cruelties
revealed by the Parliament Committee which investigated the
implementation of Opereseheni Tokomeza Ujangili.
But he said food availability was still promising noting that assessment
of food situation conducted in October and November this year
established that a total of 828,063 face food shortage.
“These people need a total of 23,312 tonnes up to February next year,”
he said noting however that the nation has enough reserves to sustain
the needs.
Mr Pinda adjourned the Parliament to May 6, next year when it will meet for the marathon Budget
You messed with the wrong reptile! Python loses death match with Florida alligator and ends up in its JAWS
Parks
officials in Florida have been fighting a losing battle to rid the
Everglades of invasive Burmese pythons, not realizing that their secret
weapon may be the state reptile.
A remarkable photo posted on the Facebook page of Everglades National Park Monday depicted a death match between a massive gator and a python - with the former coming out on top.
The
picture of the tenacious reptile devouring its slithering opponent was
accompanied by a post offering some information about the battle between
the two critters.
Alien vs predator: This American alligator came out on top in the battle
with a Burmese python, an invasive species infesting the Everglades
National Park in Florida
According
to the message, earlier this month park staffers were contacted by
resident Steve Greene, who reported ‘another “Gator and Python
incident.’
The
eyewitness told officials that as he was heading to Royal Palm State
Park, he spotted an American alligator thrashing around.
‘The gator was moving fast and very determined to get under the bridge,’ Mr Greene reportedly said.
Parks
officials explained in the Facebook post that the Burmese python is an
exotic, invasive species that doesn’t belong in the Everglades.
The confrontation between the two critters took place in the area of Royal Palm State Park in the Everglades
‘Occasionally,
the American Alligator, an apex predator in the Everglades, is seen
consuming Burmese Pythons,’ the Facebook message read. ‘and sometimes
the reverse!’
The snakes have no natural predators, they can eat anything in their path, and they can reproduce in large numbers
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