Dodoma — THE government will, before end of this financial year, release payments for local government leaders who helped during last year's National Housing and Population Census.

The Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Ms Saada Mkuya Salum, told the Parliament that claims totalling about 4.3bn/- have been submitted to her ministry for payment processing. She said the payments delayed because initially, they were not included in the main budget, prepared for the census exercise, but now they will be paid.

The Deputy Minister was responding to a principal question by Ms Bernadeta Mushashu (Special Seat, Chadema) who wanted to know when local leaders in Bukoba Rural District will receive their payments, after assisting during census. However, she said all other officers and clerks who took part in the exercise were paid according to agreements and terms set for them.

"There are no complaints from other groups, who took part in the exercise, but for local leaders we ask for patience as processing of their payments is in the final stages," she said. She admitted, however, that due to deficit in the budget some local leaders received low payments that are less than 70,000/- that had been agreed for their services for seven days, and that the difference will now be paid as well.

Ms Mushashu queried in a supplementary question why the government failed to consider local leaders in the main budget and when exactly they will be paid.