Enhance Governance

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

29 May 2011

editorial

For Tanzania to beat poverty, which together with its other sworn enemies – disease and illiteracy – have caused misery for so long, it is important to enhance democracy and socio-economic governance.

It is therefore disappointing that the country has been dragging its feet in implementing the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to monitor the progress in governance and good practices.

Tanzanians who believe that solving governance challenges will provide a solution to poverty are suspicious of the government’s intention in delaying to carry out APRM – a mutually agreed instrument voluntarily acceded to by African Union members in 2003 as a self-monitoring mechanism.

The APRM mandate is to encourage African countries’ conformity in regard to political, economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards, and to strive to meet socio-economic objectives within the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

Donors who contribute 30 per cent of the country’s Budget believe that addressing governance challenges will be a step towards making the world a better place.Belatedly, the government has promised to allocate funds to implement APRM.

It will also pay the country’s outstanding annual subscription of about Sh1 billion to APRM.Moreover, it said it had released Sh100 million for reviewing and updating a 2009 country self-assessment report which was prepared by the Tanzania APRM secretariat.We urge the government to implement the mechanism to help solve the country’s myriad socioeconomic problems.

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