Government orders TCB to relocate to Mwanza

The government has issued 14 days ultimatum to the offices of the Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) to move to Mwanza as directed by President John Magufuli, short of which its officers should resign for failing to abide by the decree.

Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Tizeba, sounded the last warning here on Tuesday upon realising that the board’s top executives were still in Dar es Salaam despite being ordered to move to the Lake Victoria City and cotton growing zone.

“This is a presidential directive for you to move from Dar es Salaam. I now give you 14 days to relocate to Mwanza or else you submit your resignation letters,” said Minister Tizeba.

The new development comes following President Magufuli’s order to TCB to relocate from Dar es Salaam to make sure its stakeholders including farmers are closely served.

He gave the directives in August this year when he was on official tour of the Lake Zone regions where he expressed concern on the fact that the cotton board was based in the commercial city of Dar es Salaam and yet the majority of cotton farmers are found in Lake Zone regions of Geita, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Mara, Simiyu and Kagera.

However, the former Acting TCB Executive Director Mr Gabriel Mwalo presented his defence to the Minister when asked to explain why the Board had not relocated to date, saying that the exercise had delayed due to lack of resources, among others.

Mr Mwalo said there were many issues that needed to be considered before implementing the directive, adding that at least 400m/- was required to facilitate the move.

Source:DailyNews