The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Bernard James
20 August 2008
Soldiers in uniform will continue to enjoy free public transport pending consultations between the Government and transport stakeholders.
Yesterday's pronouncement in Parliament by the Minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, superseded the recent directive by the Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) headquarters that all members of the armed forces start paying fare in commuter vehicles.
Dr Mwinyi was responding to concerns raised over transport problems that members of the armed forces were facing, saying there was a need to revert to the previous arrangement.
"In the meantime we have decided to allow the previous arrangement to remain as we consult with others," he said.
The ministry is consulting with the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) and bus operators amid reports of quarrels between bus conductors, police officers and soldiers over fares.
Some conductors have been demanding fare from uniformed members of the armed forces since the army headquarters issued the directive last month. The decision has mostly affected soldiers and policemen who stay outside barracks.
"When you introduce such big changes we wonder because even the budget for the ministry has not been passed," Dr Mwinyi said.
He said military personnel faced serious transport problems and urged bus operators to be patient as consultations were in progress.
In addition, he said his ministry was working to reduce the number of soldiers staying outside barracks and also buying vehicles to ferry them to and from work.
Meanwhile, Dr Mwinyi said a committee had been appointed to review the National Defence Act and was given up to September to submit its report. The committee would also review pensions and gratuities laws to improve the benefits of soldiers.
He said the Act should be reviewed "to make it compatible with the prevailing situation" and to pave way for the formation of the Military Service Commission. The commission would be responsible for the employment and welfare of soldiers.
The ministry is also seeking to address the problem of housing. According to him, the ministry has a housing backlog of 10,000. Last year, only 242 houses were built through a Sh20 billion loan.
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