Nchemba: No plan to grab CSO funds

Dar es Salaam. Finance and Planning minister Mwigulu Nchemba said yesterday that the government had no intention of taking development partners’ money away from civil society organisations (CSOs) as misunderstood by some.

Writing on his Twitter page yesterday, Dr Nchemba noted that the CSOs must align their operations with Tanzania’s Vision 2025 and the country’s Second Five-Year Development Plan.

Dr Nchemba’s explanation his twitter post on Sunday which attracted a backlash from CSOs.

On Sunday, he wrote that he had held a virtual meeting with Usaid and that he requested them (Usaid) to direct to the strategic projects, the Sh3 trillion in grant which they have committed to give Tanzania through CSOs. He assured that the money would be put to proper use.

The post did not, however, go down well with CSOs who questioned the wisdom behind Dr Nchemba’s view with National Coordinator for Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) Onesmo Olengurumwa, saying it was saddening.

“The statement has confused us…the money set aside by development partners for CSOs should be used for the intended purpose and not otherwise,” he said.

Wildaf Tanzania director Anna Kulaya said minister Mwigulu’s call to the Usaid does not add up, noting that he has no power to change the purpose of the grant.

And, in an apparent goodwill gesture, Dr Nchemba wrote on his twitter paye yesterday that being the minister responsible for Finance, it was his duty to explain to development partners regarding Tanzania’s budget systems and urged them (the development partners) to increase their funding to CSOs.

“This is precisely what I did during my deliberations with Usaid. We have no intention of taking away the money that is meant for CSOs. We only put emphasis on the need for the money to be aligned with our development vision,” he said, adding: “The money that development partners channel directly to CSOs is being coordinated by the management and board of the CSOs in line with the law governing the conduct of NGO [Non-Governmental Organisations]”.

He said on the other hand, money that is channelled through the government is spent in line with the Budget Act. “We do not intend to take money from CSOs,” he stressed.

Dr Nchemba also urged the CSOs to ensure that they work together with the government and members of the private sector in an effort to hasten the pace of Tanzania’s development.

And, in response, Mr Olengurumwa said Dr Nchemba’s explanation was satisfactory.

“We commend him for the explanation and reminding CSOs that our operations must be aligned with Tanzania’s development aspirations…..In a nutshell, he has a point because as CSOs, what we do is aligned with Tanzania’s development aspirations,” he said.

He said the CSOs have cordially received Dr Nchemba’s statement and that they were happy with it.

“We have received it and we have no problems with it. Though we work in line with several projects that are in line with the government’s development it does not mean that CSOs are prohibited from engaging in other projects that are within the confines of Tanzania’s laws,” he said.