CONSIDER TAX RELIEF FOR BUILDING MATERIAL, RC TELLS TANZANIA GOVT.

Kagera Regional Commissioner (RC), Albert Chalamila, has appealed to the government to consider granting tax relief on essential building materials to help residents in his region which is over 1,000 kilometres far away from Dar es Salaam.

” I appeal to the government to consider giving tax relief on essential building materials taking into consideration that the region is far away from Dar es Salaam (over 1,000 km),” he said at the climax of National Youth Week and the Uhuru Torch race climax at Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba municipality last week.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was the guest of honour in the two events and other dignitaries included the Vice-President, Dr Philip Mpango, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and several ministers from Zanzibar and Mainland.

“The two events should act as an eye-opener. Due to a lack of enough accommodation, some of the guests had to camp at Chato and Geita. People hailing from Kagera and the Diaspora should also come and invest home through the construction of industries and five-star hotels thus creating employment opportunities,” he said.

He said Kagera Region is well positioned to become an important hub for trade since it is bordering with Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya across Lake Victoria. This is an opportunity to boost trade with our neighbours, he remarked.

He called upon people hailing from Kagera and the Diaspora to come and invest home in various sectors including the construction of industries and five-star hotels thus creating employment opportunities.

He explained that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is another opportunity not to be missed because it would pass through four districts-namely Missenyi, Bukoba DC, Muleba and Biharamulo.

Last week, the Minister for Energy January Makamba said Tanzania has adhered to all the procedures to ensure all the rights are protected accordingly.

On implementing the project, the government through Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) set aside a budget of 25bn/- for compensating those who were to vacate their premises in favour of the project.

“We have paid compensation to those who deserved it, no one was forced to leave their premises or arrested. Also, the overall pipeline route has been designed to minimize environmental and social impacts,” he said.