Dodoma — PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered that the funds amounting to 960m/- that was initially allocated for Uhuru Day celebrations should be spent in the construction of eight schools' dormitories admitting students with special needs.
That is after the country is set to celebrate its 61st Anniversary since it attained independence from the British.
Usually, the country marks the Independence Day with pomp and style with huge convoys of former leaders, and delegates from outside the country taking part.
However, this time around, the Head of State directed the Prime Minister's office (Regional Administration and Local Government) to organize key public dialogues and conferences at regional and districts levels, the platforms that will be tailored to enable the citizens to meet with their respective leaders to deliberate and retreat over the country's socioeconomic achievements attained within 61 years of independence.
The President's decision was unveiled here yesterday by the Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office, Policy, Parliament and Coordination, George Simbachawene.
"According to the directives from the President, cerebrations of the country's key historical day will in this year be celebrated in a different style, including patriotic dialogues that will allow gatherings to welcome Tanzanians from all regions and districts and discuss various topics pertaining to their country's past, present and future," he said.
Expressing President Samia's directives, Mr Simbachawene noted that this year's celebration would be greeted with no official national parade, nor any State event as it has always been in the past years.
"And as part of quickly implementing directives from the President, we have already disbursed 960m/- to the intended schools so that they can timely embark on the projects for the construction of the much awaited structures for accommodation of the students with special needs," he pointed out.
Elaborating, the minister added that the schools in question were based in Shinyanga, Tabora, Lindi, Manyara, Rukwa, Njombe and Arusha.
"We're appealing to all Tanzanians to remain calm and continue promoting peace and harmony across the country in order to allow the government to accelerate economic pace," said Mr Simbachawene.
In his address, he hailed the President for her patriotic decision to have this year's independence day observed in style , saying the decision to uplift standards of structures at the special needs' schools was wise and healthy to the country's education sector.
Last year's Uhuru celebrations were marked in different style as the country independence turned 60 in which government ministries and departments highlighted various achievements recorded within the period.
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President Samia said Tanzania has accomplished so much in the last 60 years, adding: "Not only is our country one of Africa's ten fastest-growing economies, but we've also managed to keep inflation under control and the shilling is stable in comparison to other currencies."
East Africa's economic growth is expected to recover to an average of 4.1 per cent in 2021, up from 0.4 per cent posted in 2020, according to the African Development Bank's latest economic outlook report for the region. In 2022, average growth is projected to hit 4.9 per cent.
The report reviews the socio-economic performance of 13 countries: Tanzania, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
President Samia further noted that the country has made progress in human development, with the poverty rate falling from 28.6 per cent in 2015 to 26.25 per cent in 2020, and the Human Development Index (HDI) rising from 0.37 in 1990 to 0.52 in 2019.
According to Human Development report 2020 by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), between 1990 and 2019, Tanzania life expectancy at birth increased by 15.3 years, meaning years of schooling increased by 2.5 years and expected years of schooling increased by 2.6 years.
