ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi on Saturday announced a 460bn/- stimulus package to stir economic recovery from the Covid-19 induced recession.
He however warned dishonest government officers bent on pilfering the money, reiterating his firm resolve to protect the money against thievery.
“Already, there are indicators of some people preparing themselves to steal this money; I have all the information and let me caution you…not a penny will be stolen,” the President said in his national address to commemorate one year in the presidency.
He said besides the 100 million US dollars (over 230bn/-) allocation that Zanzibar has received from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to Tanzania, the Revolutionary Government has decided to take another loan of 100 million dollars, bringing the total to 200 million dollars (over 460bn/-).
The IMF fund will be directed to health, education, water and power sectors, as well as economically empowering wananchi, said President Mwinyi.
He explained that the 63bn/- allotment to health will be invested in strengthening of infrastructure, including construction of a new five-storey Lumumba regional hospital with the capacity of admitting 200 patients in Unguja.
The money will also be used to supply Pemba-based Abdalla Mzee Hospital with medical equipment and medics and construct 10 district hospitals, with 100-bed capacity each. Construction of the district hospitals is scheduled to commence within this month, the president said.
The government will also purchase 12 ambulances for all two regional and 10 district hospitals in the country.
“The ultimate goal is ensure that health services are readily available to wananchi,” he said, adding that through the money, the government will procure five medicine delivery vans.
Out of the IMF allocation, the education sector will get 69bn/- for construction of 706 new classrooms and completion of 425 classrooms under different stages of construction by wananchi.
The money will also be spent on construction of 35 new schools; 1,693 toilets; rehabilitation of old schools; construction of teachers’ houses and purchase of 8,000 desks.
The 34.2bn/- allotment to the water sector will be directed into increased water production and storage through drilling of 28 new wells; procurement and installation of water pumps as well as construction of water tanks.
The government further envisages investing 11bn/- into the power sector to subsidise power connection charges to wananchi from over 600,000/- to 200,000/-.
Small entrepreneurs have 85.4bn/- that will be directed into procurement of 577 modern, fully equipped fishing boats; purchase of seaweed farming tools and improvement of business environment as well as loans to entrepreneurs in various sectors.
“We believe that all these projects will boost money circulation in the market and create thousands of jobs for Zanzibaris,” President Mwinyi said, projecting the total jobs at 158,150.
The president said the 230bn/- government loan will be used to settle suppliers’ claims to the government; pay terminal benefits to retirees and other debts that the government owes wananchi.
Dr Mwinyi expressed optimism over his second year in State House, imploring all the islanders to work hard, “The first year was difficult (due to Covid-19) but in the second year, we are injecting 460bn/- into the economy; this is a lot of money, it will touch all sectors and benefit every one of us.”
He asked the islanders to preserve the country’s peace and unity as the key factor to achieve the social and economic development, citing peace, accountability and integrity as the determining factors of economic success.