Mara — PARLIAMENTARY Standing Committee on by-laws has directed District councils in Mara Region to establish regulations that will enable them to increase domestic revenue from various sectors including tourism, mining, communication and banking sectors.

The committee chairman Mr Sylvester Masele issued the directive in Musoma , shortly after winding up a long week working tour in all Mara region districts."This place is blessed with beautiful wildlife sanctuary, tourist hotels and gold mines. In addition to that banking and communication services have been growing day after day here," he said.

The committee has directed district councils which are yet to establish by-laws to collect revenue from these areas with immediate effect, reads part of the committee report signed by Mr Masele on Monday.

"Mara is one of the richest regions in the country and there is no reason for the region to be poor at all. The region has sufficient resources to change its people's lives and nation at large", the parliamentary committee observed.

Apart from Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) and large part of Lake Vitoria water, Mara Region hosts several gold mines including North Mara Gold Mine, one of the country's largest gold mines located in the Northern Tarime District.

The committee also urged the Mara District councils to set up more by-laws that will help to improve social services as well as conserving environment in the lake zone region.It also wanted formation of anti- female genital mutilation (FGM) by-laws in some parts of the region.

The committee also said most of the challenges facing establishment and implementation of by-laws in Mara are similar to those facing other parts of the country.They included shortage of law experts within the district councils and poor involvement of members of public on setting up of by-laws process, just to mention a few.