The 2010/11 government budget which the Minister responsible for Finance, Planning and Economic Development said is an extension of the 2009/10 budget to implement the economic and social objectives is finally out. Being the last session of the First Five Years of the Fourth Phase Government 2010/11 fiscal policies of priority are not significantly different from those in the past four fiscal years and they include1) Broadening the Tax Base, 2) Reduce Tax exemptions, and 3) Increase incentives to attract local and foreign investors. The policies on expenditure earmarked Education, Infrastructure and Agriculture as areas of higher priority resource allocation. The policy also advocates 1) Strengthening Public Finance management, 2) Strengthen expenditure tracking and 3) Enhancing budget evaluation. This is to ensure efficient use of financial resources. There is also a policy put in place to attract, and retain staff in underserved areas. Finally the government envisage sustaining achievements realised in 1) Health, 2) Education and 3) water sector.
In the area of agriculture, it seems a number of strategies are put in place that will improve agricultural productivity and incomes by enhancing value addition through processing.
In terms of priority areas for the 2010/11 budget governed by expenditure policies, the Minister says a special attention is put on October General Elections, sustaining achievements attained in Education, Health and Water supply and sanitation. In his summary, the Minister puts more than 11 areas of attention for the budget allocations. The October General Elections becomes the 12th. Within each category you also come across other areas of allocation priorities. For the EAC, a number of policy measures have been announced in this budget to address the issue of EAC common market which include the promotion of growth of the important sectors like industries, agriculture and transport.
However, there are a number of questions and issues that need in-depth analysis to make their practicality up to earth. Due to their technicality they call for scientific, technical, social and political efforts by all members of the public with the aim to direct the government’s eye into them if the public objectives are to be met. They include the following:-
1. Are these Fiscal policies the most appropriate ones and sufficient to generate the expected government revenues? More so, are they fully reflected in the 2010/11 budget?
2. Given that one of the major challenges of the Fourth Phase Government is the ability to collect sufficient financial resources to finance its plans Do you think the coming 2010/11 budget implementation period will have any tangible results in reducing poverty and improving livelihood with more than 12 priorities on the fore front? If no tangible results are expected, what priorities will mostly be affected, is it agriculture, elections or what?
3 . Will our farmers benefit from strategies that are put in place to improve agricultural productivity and enhance value addition? Is it appropriate for the agricultural policy to lump and have the same programme packages for all farmers?
4. Furthermore, funds for research are mostly directed towards rehabilitating the research infrastructures. Is this the most pertinent problem of researches in Tanzania?
5. We understand that environmental degradation and increasing climate change have strongly and negatively affected the performance of agricultural sector over the past years. Is the budget having anything to offer to overcome these problems?
6. What are your views in terms of the measures undertaken in the budget to address the issue of EAC common market? That is, are they supportive or detrimental to our economy?
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