Govt denies knowledge of crooked ‘loans firm’

Dodoma. The government has denied knowledge of a financial institution collecting money from women in Kigoma Region that claims it provides them with loans. The minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, (Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled), Ms Jenista Mhagama, made the statement at Parliament in Dodoma on Wednesday. She was responding to a supplementary question by Kigoma Special Seats Member of Parliament Josephine Genzabuke who sought to know if the government knew financial institution (unnamed) was collecting Sh10,000 from each woman in Kigoma Region, purporting to be from the Vice President’s Office. (Habel Chidawali)

In her response, Ms Mhagama said the organisation was giving out wrong information because there was no such institution from the Vice President’s Office. She ordered the regional administration to arrest and interrogate people behind the organisation.

“The government has been dismissing these claims now and then. Therefore, I order authorities in the region to arrest the institution’s officers and question them. The government has allowed provision of financial services to people without using the name of the Vice President’s Office,” she said, warning women in the region to take precaution.

In the basic questions session, Special Seats MP Bupe Mwakang’ata sought to know when the government will consider starting issuing financial services that would benefit women in marginalised regions.

Responding to the question, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr Ashatu Kijaji, said the government would continue improving transport infrastructure, supply of electricity, water communication and security to attract more investors to open financial services in various parts of the country including the marginalized regions.