Our doors are open to improve laws-Govt

DODOMA: PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa yesterday assured the public that the government is ready to review unfriendly laws so as to meet stakeholders’ expectations.

The Premier made the assurance yesterday in the Parliament when fielding questions from Members of Parliament.

Mr Majaliwa assured that in order for the law to be used the government and other, stakeholders are involved so as to agree on the implementation to avoid inconveniences.

“When an enacted law creates problems during application, the government doors are open for stakeholders to bring them back for us to review and improve,” Prime Minister Majaliwa stressed.

He was responding to Special-Seats MP Zaytun Seif Swai (CCM). The MP stated in her question that the Parliament passes the Bill into laws, a move which allows respective government institutions to form regulations to govern their enforcement.

However, the MP observed that stakeholders’ involvement in crafting regulations was minimal, something which leads to problems to stakeholders during their enforcement, citing park fees as an example.

The MP wanted to hear the government position on the matter.

Elaborating, Premier Majaliwa admitted that it was true that government institutions are entrusted to form regulations after the enactment of the laws, but sometimes the regulations have shortfalls during their application.

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Another MP, Ms Nancy Nyalusi (Special-Seats CCM), asked the Prime Minister whether there was a plan to come up with special law to control school buses’ operations.

Ms Nyalusi argued that it was high time, the government introduced such a law to protect learners since some school buses were the main cause of students’ deaths.

Responding, Mr Majaliwa said the country had traffic laws that control the operations of all types of vehicles including school buses. “These laws have to be adhered to for the safety of students.

Also, in these laws we have added some specific sub sections to govern school buses’ operations,” he stated.

He mentioned the added sub sections as the one that require a school bus driver to have required qualifications, labels for easy identification, two guardians (female and male guardians) for the safety of children.

Ms Stella Fiyao (Special Seats-CHADEMA) also wanted to know the government’s plan to provide awareness education to residents living near reserved areas in order to reduce conflicts between residents and conservation authorities.

Ms Fiyao argued that awareness on the country’s conservation law could help the residents to conduct their economic activities properly without infringing conservation laws, hence avoiding disputes.

Answering the question, Prime Minister Majaliwa thanked all citizens who live along reserved areas for their contribution to security and conservation. He said the government continues to educate the residents in a bid to reduce disputes.

“The main thing we currently do is to put more visible beacons on boundaries. We collaborate with village committees to educate people, and we also give them a role to supervise their areas,” he stated.

Another work is to build good relations between conservation officers and the residents so that they collaboratively protect the areas and sit together to address challenges that occur.

“I call upon all conservation officers to continue building cooperation with residents, to find solutions jointly when problems occur, and all councils should bring together conservation officers and residents to create common understanding,” he stressed.