To reach those who are furthest behind in society, it is important to institute a system of just and fair social economic development. This is key especially during these tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic where global health and economic systems have been significantly disrupted. Through the years that I have been working with communities, I have observed how important it is to have groups of people who are empowered and have a voice and the capacity of being active players in raising concerns that affects their wellbeing.

Findings have revealed that the need for promoting women leadership was as important as creating an enabling environment for women to hone their leadership qualities. Despite umpteen measures to empower women and see them in leadership positions, the representation of women in such positions across the globe is quite upsetting. Women make up just 4 percent of CEOs in the world’s 500 top companies, even a lesser percent of heads of government at national level belongs to women and the least percent of international leadership positions is occupied by women in the world today.

This submission from the Policy Forum (PF), a network of 76 Tanzanian NGOs brought together by their interest in public money accountability, is a continuation of efforts to contribute to the budget process, discourse and performance. Compiled by its Budget Working Group, the submission focuses on key public sectors namely; education, health, agriculture, youth and water and presents crucial concerns related to resource mobilisation, allocation, and execution and makes recommendations worth consideration in the Parliamentary deliberations.

Recently Policy Forum did an analysis to assess the extent to which Tanzania’s mining fiscal regime is aligned with the Africa Mining Vision (AMV). The AMV, which was adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in February 2009, serves as a regional policy tool to guide the development of mineral resources in Africa.

We are all by now undoubtedly aware of the global pandemic outbreak known as Coronavirus (COVID-19) that is highly contagious which has resulted in one case being confirmed in Tanzania on Monday the 16th of March 2020. In response,

lthough the Parliament of Tanzania as a major decision-making body adopted a quota system in 1985 to address gender imbalance, the national assembly still consists of about 37 percent of women Members of Parliament whereby 30 percent are from special seats arrangement and 7 percent are elected by the citizens in their constituencies. There is a deficit of 13 percent of women in parliament to achieve a parity with men in the National Assembly.

Policy Forum adopted social accountability monitoring (SAM) in 2008 as one of its strategic approaches to capacitate its members working at the sub-national level in Tanzania to engage in policy processes more meaningfully. Since then, I have seen SAM initiatives contribute to building teacher’s housing at remote schools, the operationalisation of primary health care facilities, and the empowerment of communities to lead participatory forest governance efforts among others.

Development and the use of technology including mobile phones has been rapidly on the rise across Tanzania. According to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), out of 59.7 million people in Tanzania, the number of internet users in 2019 amounted to approximately 23.1 million. This has eased communication and information sharing amongst the public and institutions including the government and among others, has presented the opportunity to utilize Artificial Intelligence in the realization of quality education in Tanzania.

Kindly be informed that Policy Forum secretariat office will be closed for Christmas and New Year Holidays from December 21, 2019 to January 13, 2020.                                    

We would like to wish you a very Happy Holidays.

The Policy Forum Secretariat regrets to announce the untimely death of Mr Sharifu Maloya Kombo, of member organization Lindi Association of Non-Government Organisations (LANGO) who passed away on Saturday 23rd November 2019 (picture attached).

Sharifu Maloya Kombo was the Executive Secretary of LANGO, an organization established to coordinate and enhance relationship and cooperation amongst Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Lindi Region. He worked untiringly for citizens through enhancing Good Governance and Accountability and Financial Management in Lindi and other Regions.