UPDATES FROM TANZANIA POST ELECTION ACTIVITIES

Last weekend they were opening parliament and there was a state dinner planned for all guests that was going to cost about 300m. President Magufuli cut the budget to 25m and ordered that the rest be taken to buy hospital beds for Muhimbili they got 300 beds and mattresses and 600 bed sheets from that money.

On 23rd Nov 2015 he announced that there will be no official ceremonies for Independence Day on 9th December, the money is to be used for more pressing issues and the day should instead be spent cleaning up our environment.

On Saturday 21st nov 2015 a group of 50 people were about to set off for a tour of commonwealth countries (don’t know for what) but President Magufuli cut that list down to 4 people, saving government 600m in tickets, accommodation and per diems

No more foreign travel, embassies will take care; if it’s necessary to go, special permission must be sought from him or Chief Secretary

No more 1st class and business class travel for all officials except President, Vice, and Prime Minister.

No more workshops and seminars in expensive hotels when their so many ministry board rooms available.

President Magufuli asked how come engineers are given V8s when a pick-up is more suitable for their jobs.

No more sitting allowances, how the hell are you paid allowance for a job which you have a monthly salary; that also applies to MP’s.

President Magufuli has literally pressed the reset button; returning Tanzania to default factory settings, because that was the TZ Nyerere left us with.

On the day after he was brought to power, in the morning as State House officials were showing him round he decided to take a walk to ministry of finance, told them to get their act together, asked why some employees weren’t in office (ever since then the traffic jam in mornings has become worse) and ordered TRA to scrap all tax exemptions, everyone must pay taxes especially the big guys

President Magufuli went to Muhimbili Hospital unannounced and walked thru the worst parts that they keep hiding from important visitors he fired the director, fired the hospital board and ordered that all machines that weren’t working (so that people go to private hospitals owned by some doctors) to be repaired within 2 weeks otherwise he fires even the new director; the machines were repaired in 3 days

Finally, last week when going to officially open parliament President Magufuli didn’t go by plane, drove the whole 600km from Dar to Dodoma.

President Magufuli has reduced the size of the presidential convoy, even reduced the size of presidential delegation that travels with him

President Magufuli chose a Prime Minister we haven’t heard of before, a guy with reputation for hard work and no corruption all the big guys we expected could be PM have been let wondering what hit them.

His motto is: Hapa Kazi Tu

After President Magufuli visited Ministry of finance and Muhimbii Hospital without announcing it is said the port (most corrupt, delaying, thieving officials) were all of a sudden the most efficient place. No loads are missing, things are done quickly and that habit of forcing for a bribe so that your container is released is no more.

Oh, they say when he was confirmed as winner people started congratulating him and wanting to bring gifts to his place he turned them back, saying he will receive all congrats over the phone, nobody should visit him.

All individuals/firms that bought state companies that were privatized but haven’t done anything (20yrs later) are to either revive the industries immediately or hand them back to the government

………………………This is the sort of paradigm shift we need here in Kenya instead of useless/tired/stale rhetorics:-

Agree pork could have done more. But long-term I would rather have the systems reformed rather than pork running everywhere to sort matters. Otherwise you get back to square one after every election cycle