Defence budget down to Sh1.84tr

Dar es Salaam.  The minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, has listed 12 priorities, which will be implemented in the 2019/20 financial year.
Speaking when tabling his ministry’s budget proposal, which amounts to Sh1.84 trillion in Dodoma yesterday, Dr Mwinyi said Sh1.72 trillion will be spent on recurrent expenditure and Sh128 billion will go to development projects.
Nonetheless, the allocation for the ministry’s 2019/20 financial year is slightly less than the current budget of Sh1.91 trillion.
The minister said the priorities for the 2019/20 budget will be to equip the army with modern equipment, train soldiers to increase their operational, administrative and defence capacities, improve working, residents’ conditions for women and men in uniforms as well as improve delivery of their basic needs and services. The allocated budget is also aimed at training the Tanzanian youth on issues such as patriotism and working skills, develop researches and update technological skills and establish industries that will produce goods for the army and civilians. Dr Mwinyi mentioned other priorities as improvement of cooperation with international, regional communities as well as individual countries on military and defence issues.
The minister said during the coming financial year, the ministry will also survey, valuate and compensate land that will be taken from civilians for military purposes.
The ministry will also continue to cooperate with civilians authorities in preparing ways of mitigating natural calamities.
Dr  Mwinyi  noted that during the next financial year, the ministry will continue to train the reserve army, improve military communication, build warehouses for storing weapons. The budgeted amount will also help to improve motivation of the men and women in uniform, youth, national service and public servants.
According to the minister, the 2019/20 budget is also targeting to finalise the national defence policy, guidelines for military owned industries and the 10-year development plan blueprint (2018/19-2017/28) besides supporting Nyumbu Corporation.