President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr Jakaya Kikwete.
THE war against ghost workers in which millions of shillings of taxpayers’ money is swindled, has received a fresh boost. All the newly-appointed executives who were sworn-in in Dar es Salaam have pledged seriousness and collaboration with other ‘helping hands’ to root out the menace.
In an interview at the end of a colourful swearing-in ceremony that President Jakaya Kikwete officiated at the State House in Dar es Salaam, Public Service Remuneration and Productivity Board Executive Secretary Tamila Lutengano Kahesya, said her office would conduct an in-depth investigation on disparities related to salary payment anomalies for appropriate action.
“Ghost payment has been reported at different levels of public service delivery. The challenge can be addressed more effectively through concerted efforts.
The Civil Service Management Office has already drawn measures to end corruption-driven cheating,” Ms Kahesya explained.
She added that the nature of investigation to be conducted would also find out and verify whether payment of salaries was based on merit.
“There are highly-skilled and competent civil servants who are paid lowly, while there are others who might not be equally qualified but are graciously remunerated,” she observed.
However, the executive secretary was explicit on the basis of better remunerations, saying that commitment, honesty and patriotic spirit among workers remained pillars of individual success and subsequent nation’s development.
Payment to ghost workers, though consuming substantial amounts of public resources, remains a serious problem that seems to have defied all government efforts to tame it.
In March 2011, for instance, President Kikwete ordered a special audit in all government departments, following reports that 9bn/- had been wasted in salary payment to ghost workers in only three ministries.
The president also directed stern administrative action against officials who sanctioned the payment of the salaries to the ghost workers. Four senior civil servants took oath of office.
They included the newlyappointed High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Daniel Ole Njoolay, the newly-appointed Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Water, Mr Bashir Mrindoko, the Deputy Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Raphael Leiyan Daluti and Ms Kahesya.
Mr Njoolay, who has served the nation at different capacities such as lecturer at the Institute of Finance Management (IFM) and Regional Commissioner for Arusha, Mwanza and Rukwa regions, said he would explore various opportunities for economic cooperation with host countries to expand horizons for socio-economic relations.
Being the new executive at the Ministry of Water, Mr Mrindoko admitted existence of challenges in the sector, but emphasised that he was not going to reinvent the wheel but work closely with water technicians and other authorities to make sure that the national water development policies were fulfilled accordingly.
“The challenges will not be resolved overnight but good coordination between responsible parties will make a difference. Different water sources will be protected, improved and developed. In places where rivers are the sources of water, improvement will be accomplished.
In places where ground water is the source, deep wells will be dug up to the convenience of the public,” Mr Mrindoko explained. On his part, Mr Daluti said deliberate efforts would be made to impart modern farming techniques to enable the sector to contribute more to the national income.
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