PM directs local governments to hasten road, street naming

The Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, has directed local authorities in the country to fast-track naming of roads and streets in their respective areas as part of implementation of the national homes’ address and post code system.

Mr Majaliwa as well instructed that responsible government institutions should give a priority to Dodoma Municipal Council and Chamwino District Council in Dodoma Region in the execution of the project.

“Dodoma and Chamwino should be areas of precedence in implementation of the exercise since the government has already expressed a commitment to transfer the capital from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma,” he stressed here yesterday.

The PM made the directives during the official launch of the home address and post code system at the Pius Msekwa Hall, asking responsible government ministries and authorities to complete street and road naming by December.

He went on to urge public and private institutions to put a component to embrace the new arrangement when implementing development projects.

The institutions include Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads), Tanzania Building Agency (TBA), National Housing Corporation (NHC) and the Tanzania Strategic Cities Project, among others.

The new arrangement, Mr Majaliwa noted, would boost security and defence, also boost provision of social services and improve the business environment and e-commerce in the country.

“It would be uncomplicated for the government to collect taxes given that it will be easy to identify and make follow up on taxpayers in their areas,” he explained.

The project is part of implementation of the National Postal Services Policy of 2003 and a resolution by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) adopted in Doha, Qatar in the year 2012 with a theme; “Addressing the world, an address for everyone.”

The Acting Dodoma Regional Commissioner, Ms Christine Mndeme, assured the PM earlier that authorities in Dodoma had started the process of naming streets and roads in the designated capital.

“In Dodoma, we plan to brand streets and roads after living and late leaders who have made significant contribution such as Pius Msekwa, Job Lusinde as well as the late Rashidi Kawawa and George Kahama,” Ms Mndeme who is also the District Commissioner (DC) for Dodoma, explained.

At the same occasion, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Infrastructure Development, Mr Norman Sigalla, expressed concern that funds allocated for the scheme are not disbursed on time.

“A total of 900m/- was allocated during the fiscal year 2015/2016 but nothing was released; this financial year funds amounting to 5bn/- have been allocated but three months after the budget was passed in June the government is yet to disburse anything,” he complained.

The UPU’s Global Ambassador for Address, Professor Anne Tibaijuka, revealed here that she initiated the programme when she was serving as the Executive Director of the UN-Habitat.

In Tanzania, it started with pilot projects in Dar es Salaam and Arusha regions and later followed by Dodoma and Region with its undertaking set to be completed in June 2018.