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Govt to review ATCL jobs

Minister for Works, Transport and Communications Prof Makame Mbarawa speak at a past event.

What you need to know:

Minister for Works, Transport and Communications Prof Makame Mbarawa told the National Assembly that the plan was among the measures intended to reduce operational costs ahead of buying two new planes as part of broader plans of reviving the airline.

Dodoma. The government is planning to review employment contracts of all Air Tanzania Company Ltd (ATCL) employees in order to cut down costs and improve the efficiency of the state-owned airline.

Minister for Works, Transport and Communications Prof Makame Mbarawa told the National Assembly that the plan was among the measures intended to reduce operational costs ahead of buying two new planes as part of broader plans of reviving the airline.

Prof Mbarawa was responding to a supplementary question by Daniel Nsanzugwako (Kasulu Urban-CCM) who asked why the government was having over 200 employees in ATCL which presently has only one aircraft.

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“It’s true that there are over 200 workers but we will review the jobs and re-hire according to the demand. The two new aircrafts will arrive in the country soon,” said Prof Mbarawa.

Earlier, Mr Ali Salim Khamis (Mwanakwerekwe-CUF), in his basic question, wanted to know the Zanzibar government’s stake in the airline and when it will pay its debts.

Deputy minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Mr Edwin Ngonyani, said that the airline was owned 100 per cent by the union government and that there was no shareholding structure between the mainland and the isles.

He also explained that ATCL owes Zanzibar Airports Authority Sh230.76 million accumulated from landing fees.

“This debt is being audited and it will be paid once the audit is completed,” he said.

Airfare

Some MPs queried the high fares local airlines were charging for domestic routes.

“A return ticket between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza and Dar es Salaam - Mbeya is charged close to Sh800,000 per passenger; this is almost the same amount charged for Dar es Salaam – Dubai by some airlines. Who regulates the airfares exactly?” asked Mr Richard Ndassa (Sumve-CCM).

Prof Mbarawa said the fares were regulated by market forces under the supervision of Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).

“After buying two new aircrafts for ATCL, we will end the monopoly by the private players,” Prof Mbarawa explained.

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