Mahiga: Denmark’s aid intact

Dar es Salaam. Denmark has clarified claims that it suspended its financial support to Tanzania due to some issues that were recently taking place in the country, Foreign Affairs minister Augustine Mahiga told reporters.

Speaking immediately after an internal meeting with a delegation from Denmark, Norway, Venezuela and China, Dr Mahiga said Denmark will not withhold $10 million (over Sh22 billion) worth of aid for budget support, saying rather it was a matter of time before its disbursement.

He said Denmark’s permanent secretary in the ministry of Cooperation and International Development Trine Thygesen said they were waiting for their colleagues Sweden and the European Union (EU) before disbursing the money.

For their part, the EU and Sweden, Dr Mahiga said, were set to finance the government’s budget at a tune of $37 million (over Sh83 billion) and $9 million (over Sh20 billion) respectively.

“We collaborate with Sweden and the EU to disburse the budget support to Tanzania. We are ready to issue the money, but we are waiting for our colleagues who are yet to finalise the process,” Dr Mahiga quoted Ms Thygesen as saying.

Denmark had also pledged to walk the talk on its plan to provide $300 million (Sh675 billion) worth of aid for various sectors, among them health, education and good governance between 2014 and 2018.

Recently, Tanzania’s second-biggest donor, Denmark, threatened to withhold $10 million worth of aid, citing concerns over human rights abuses and “unacceptable homophobic comments” made by a government official.

Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Paul Makonda told Dar es Salaam residents to report people suspected of being gay.

Mr Makonda said a task force had been set up to arrest LGBT people in the city. The government tried to distance itself from Mr Makonda’s statements but not before his plans had ignited a diplomatic reaction.

The move preceded a swift recall of the head of the European Union delegation to Tanzania over what it called “deterioration of human rights and rule of law” amid growing concerns over the abuse of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in the nation.

The EU, a major donor to the country, which had pledged more than $700 million (Sh1.5 trillion) in support between 2014 and 2020, said it would review its relations with Tanzania.

Worse still, an official also said the World Bank had suspended visiting missions to the East African nation, citing continuous harassment and discrimination of the LGBTI community.

It also pulled a planned $300 million (Sh675 billion) educational loan that would help the country’s ministry of Education over Tanzania’s policy of banning pregnant girls from going back to school.

However later on the World Bank lifted the suspension after a successful talks with President John Magufuli. Meanwhile, Venezuela is likely to become the second country after Germany to have its diplomatic office in Dodoma.

This was revealed by Dr Mahiga after an internal meeting with Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs deputy minister Yuri Moura.

For its part, Germany opened its liaison office at Dodoma Plaza in September, 2018, an event which was graced by Dr Mahiga.

As it is Germany and Venezuela could respectively become the second and third diplomatic missions after the United Nations (UN), which opened its office in the capital city last December, the event which was honored by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.

“Venezuela asked for a permit to open their diplomatic office in Dodoma. We have given them a go ahead and soon they will start the implementation process,” Dr Mahiga told reporters.

“This will be the fourth country from Latin America, after Brazil, Argentina and Cuba, to have its diplomatic office in the country.”

For its part, Germany opened its liaison office at Dodoma Plaza in September, 2018, the event which was graced by minister Mahiga.