Civic leaders set for Sh51bn send-off pay

Dar es Salaam. Outgoing mayors, council chairpersons and councillors across the country will pocket Sh51 billion in gratuities.

Each councillor and mayor will get the equivalent of 55 per cent of their allowances for 60 months of service, according to information posted on the Ministry of Finance website.

The 3,302 councillors countrywide will pocket a total of Sh49.84 billion, while the 163 mayors and council chairpersons will be paid Sh2.15 billion.

Councillors, who were paid a monthly allowance of Sh350,000 each during their term of service, which ended in August, will each take home Sh11.55 million.

Mayors and council chairpersons will each be paid Sh13.2 million, calculated from their Sh400,000 monthly allowance.

If the Sh51 billion were to be channelled to education, it would go a long way in addressing problems that have been bedevilling the sector over the years.

For example, the Sh11.5 million to be paid to each councillor is enough to buy 135 desks at Sh85,000 each.

The total sum the former civic leaders will pocket is enough to build 2,550 low-cost houses for teachers for Sh20 million each.

The money could also be used to build 51 kilometres of tarmac road at Sh1 billion per kilometre.

It could also be spent on sinking 98 bore holes at Sh520 million each to ease the shortage of clean and safe water in rural areas.

The amount also exceeds the budgets of some ministries. For example, it is more than twice the budget of the Ministry of East Africa Cooperation, which currently stands at Sh24.5 billion.

Some commentators who spoke with The Citizen accused the government of pampering politicians at the expense of taxpayers, the majority of who live below the poverty line.

Mr Emmanuel Gideon, a political commentator based in Morogoro, said it had now become the norm for elected leaders to be paid handsomely at the end of their terms regardless of their performance. He cited as an example the Sh230 million send-off package for each of the outgoing MPs.

“Politicians are now paid obscene amounts after completing their terms. You might be aware that it has been decided that each MP be paid a Sh230 million golden handshake,” Mr Gideon said.

Mr Irenei Kiria, executive director of health advocacy organisation Sikika, challenged the government to explain who endorsed the tens of billions of shillings that are to be paid to outgoing civic leaders.

He said the only entity with the mandate to authorise expenditure of taxpayers’ money is Parliament, which was disbanded last month. Mr Kiria said it was disappointing that the government had been showering politicians with billions of shillings, while public hospitals lacked drugs and other essential supplies.

Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (Tucta) Secretary- General Nicholas Mgaya said the payout once again showed that the government lacked priorities when it comes to spending public funds.

He said there was no rationale in a politician pocketing more than Sh10 million every five years, while a university professor who retires after 30 years in public service is given only Sh50 million.

“We are saying for the umpteenth time that the government doesn’t value public servants. How come a councillor, who only attends full council meetings, is paid Sh11.5 million as a golden handshake, while a teacher hardly earns this sum in his or her entire career in public service?’’ queried Mr Mgaya.