4th October 2013
Also more than good plans on paper the government has been challenged to expedite the implementation and completion of various poverty alleviation initiatives on one hand while wananchi have been called on to besides their immediate family, extend help to others in need.
He was speaking at a Farewell Media Roundtable Questions and Answers session in Dar es Salaam yesterday. In reference to the first part of his advice which was directed to the government he acknowledged and commended efforts done and initiatives planned but called for fast tracking of the processes involved.
“I think we are all happy with issues addressed but not (implemented) as fast as we hoped…” observed the outgoing diplomat who has completed his four-year tour of duty in the country.
As to the second part, the envoy is of the opinion that Tanzanians must embrace the spirit of responsibility towards each other’s wellbeing and come to one another’s aid beyond family support.
“I see people in the street hungry, children, elders and others who are disadvantaged. You must reach out to those people and help them,” he encouraged the nation.
On trade, Lenhardt, the accredited American Ambassador Representative to the EAC called for Tanzania and other member states of the East African Community to harmonise their goals and methods to achieve them if they are to work in par and realise the planned development schemes for the region.
Speaking on security issues in the country, the Ambassador said his government is working with the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) to secure the country’s borders as well as its homeland defence from internal threats.
Addressing the matter of media freedom in the country he said freedom of information and press is critical in any democratic society to ensure people get accurate, timely and unbiased information, allowing them to make informed decisions on matters that affect them.
In that regard, apart from various attacks on media personnel while in the field that resulted in severe injuries and even death, there is the matter of two newspapers serving 14 days and 90 days publication interdict. They are the Swahili papers Mwananchi and Mtanzania respectively.
“I am not happy with the notion of suspending media outfits, as you write your constitution it’s paramount that the freedom of press is emphasised,” said the diplomat whose tenure in the country has seen the nation’s economy grow to a regional high of over 7 percent this year and growing.
The US government through its embassy in Dar es Salaam has various agencies that include the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Department of Defence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President’s Malaria Initiative and Feed the Future.
In total these departments inject USD 750million annually into the country and so far all the last three leaderships of the US have consecutively visited the country highlighting its position on the world map politically, economically and socially.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
