The announcement that the Government contemplates to form a new body to oversee the building sector would please many people in Tanzania. Making the announcement last weekend, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said the body would take over activities formerly handled by the current malfunctioning bodies.

These include the Tanzania Building Agency (TBA), the National Architects and Quantity Surveyors Agency as well as engineering and contractors registration boards. They are currently among bodies responsible for the construction industry.

According to the premier the purpose is to ensure that structures are built according to regulations governing construction and avert further disasters.

Readers would recollect that since the late 1980s there have been three incidents of high-rise buildings falling down in Dar es Salaam.

In August 1987 a four-storey building on Msimbazi Street collapsed. In March 2006 a three-storey building at Keko also crumbled and so did a ten-storey one being built along Mtendeni Street, Kisutu area in the city centre. In the latter incident one person died, several others were injured and property destroyed.

These incidents have painted a grim picture on Tanzania's construction industry, and one would be excused to wonder what has gone wrong with it. Many people have accused the industry of corruption and misconduct.

They heap most of the blame on engineers, consultants, supervisors and contractors for this. The prime minister says the Government would amend the Engineers Registration Act No15 of l977 to give the new body more power.

But we also suggest that the Government should also look at recommendations of past investigation committees formed after the collapse of buildings.

We hope that the new body and amendments to the present law would solve the many problems facing the construction industry. For it is very vital to the national economy.