"Unhealthy borrowing' spark Tanzania's government pillars fight

By Our Correspondent,

Tanzania President, Samia Hassan, has imputed ongoing criticism of her government taking loans for national development to the 2025 General Elections fever.

The president’s statement follows recent remarks on the government trend of borrowing which her critics including the country’s Speaker of the National Assembly, Job Ndugai suggested that would lead the country to loan distress.

Last week a video clip went viral showing the Speaker criticizing the government's borrowing trend, saying it was unhealthy.

Speaking at a public rally in his Kongwa constituency in Dodoma on December 27, the Speaker said that Tanzania government should stop accepting loans from external lenders and instead expand its domestic revenue streams to pay for development projects.  

He said the country’s debt stands at 70 trillion shillings.

Hitting-back, the President on Wednesday insisted that the government will use every possible opportunity for the development of the country.

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She said that what is happening now is the ‘2025 General Elections’ fever, where some people are in disbelief of the developments attained within a short time- a situation that affects their political desires and aspirations.

President Hassan said, “When I ascended to power, an elder approached me with congratulations and caution, telling me that fine, you are the President! But be prepared for support and dents from the very people from your party to sabotage you, now I agree and remember him.

“When I took the oath of office on 19th March, 2021, I heard talk of ‘interim
government’ in Parliament…but I went back to the constitution and looked, where the transitional government was written. I could not see it...people assessed the person who took the oath and gave their grade... they don’t believe that the same person is doing all these.”

She added: ``You can’t imagine someone you trusted, head of one of the
government’s pillars speaking negatively about government levies and loans, yet all the government’s budgets pass through the person’s docket.”

She noted that it is disgusting for such a person to argue about levies and a 1.3 trillion shillings loan as if it is the first time the country took a loan, while borrowing started since independence, noting that “this is the best loan ever.”

The vividly disturbed President further said that she will use every possible opportunity to bring development to the country and that is what her role entails.

“I am doing this because I swore to God that I will serve the government of Tanzania and not because of the 2025 General Election,” she pointed out.

Elaborating, the Head of State further said that if her intention was the 2025 General Election, she could start the move in 2023 and 2024, but she initiated the development six months after ascending to power.

She however, warned some of her subordinates who have also taken
sides within the group. “The government’s focus is to bring development to Tanzanians; therefore, this noise will never disturb and distract me in any way,” she said.