MWANZA: MWANZA Regional Commissioner, Mr Said Mtanda, has ordered urgent action to complete several stalled development projects, including a drug depot whose construction began in 2012, warning that continued delays are denying residents essential services and slowing economic activities. Speaking yesterday during a special meeting of Mwanza City Council convened to discuss observations raised by … The post RC demands accountability over stalled projects appeared first on Daily News .
MWANZA: MWANZA Regional Commissioner, Mr Said Mtanda, has ordered urgent action to complete several stalled development projects, including a drug depot whose construction began in 2012, warning that continued delays are denying residents essential services and slowing economic activities.
Speaking yesterday during a special meeting of Mwanza City Council convened to discuss observations raised by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG), Mr Mtanda expressed dissatisfaction over delays in the implementation of key projects, including the Mkuyuni Fish Market and Mchafu Kuoga Market.
“We cannot continue delaying projects that are meant to serve people. When these projects stall, citizens are denied the services and economic opportunities the government intended to provide,” he said.
Mr Mtanda said the completion of the two markets would provide traders with a conducive business environment and help reduce informal trading along roadsides.
The Regional Commissioner also questioned the prolonged delay in completing the drug depot project, whose construction began in 2012 but remains unfinished.
“It is unacceptable for a project that started in 2012 to remain incomplete. Council leaders must provide detailed explanations and ensure urgent measures are taken to complete this project,” he said.
Moreover, Mr Mtanda directed the Mwanza City Council to strengthen its internal revenue collection systems, saying existing loopholes had contributed to poor revenue performance and the failure to meet collection targets.
He cautioned against assigning revenue collection responsibilities to a single individual, saying such arrangements increase the risk of corruption and inefficiency.
“Revenue collection should not depend on one person. We need a strong and transparent system that guarantees efficiency and accountability,” he said.
Accordingly, he ordered the formation of a special revenue collection team and directed council officials to work directly with taxpayers to ensure all revenue due to the council is collected.
The Regional Commissioner also ordered a review of service levy debt records, including lists of debtors and creditors, to eliminate inconsistencies in the data.
“This exercise should be conducted jointly by the City Director and the Regional Administrative Secretary before any further action is taken,” he said.
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On the long-standing land disputes in Luchelele area, Mr Mtanda said the regional administration had already established a special committee to address the matter.
He warned that the city council should not continue holding unused land while failing to compensate affected residents.
“We cannot continue accumulating unnecessary debts while wananchi wait for compensation. This situation fuels avoidable conflicts and must be resolved,” he stressed.
Mr Mtanda further called on council leaders and executives to strengthen accountability in the management of development projects, revenue collection and the resolution of citizens’ concerns to improve service delivery and accelerate the development of Mwanza City.
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