Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi’s call for public institutions to cut unnecessary expenditure and support internships for 10,000 young Tanzanians deserves backing. Opening the conference of public board chairpersons and chief executives in Arusha a fortnight ago, he placed an urgent national priority before those entrusted with public resources: Investing in young people.
His message should now translate into measurable action. Graduates cannot acquire experience when employers demand it but institutions deny them opportunities to learn. Properly funded internships, with meaningful supervision and reasonable subsistence support, can help bridge this gap and prepare young Tanzanians for employment and enterprise.
Finding the money requires an honest examination of spending habits. Allowances, cocktails and unnecessary meetings must come under scrutiny. The review should extend to excessive per diems, vehicle purchases, fuel consumption, overtime payments, vehicle servicing, hiring halls, food and drinks, among other expenses that can quietly swallow development budgets, among others.
Every institution should ask whether each expense serves citizens, whether a cheaper option exists and whether the activity is necessary. Meetings can use existing public facilities or suitable online platforms. Travel should have a clear purpose. Vehicle use, maintenance bills and overtime claims need proper controls and verification.
Budget discipline must protect essential operations while removing waste. Teachers, health workers and officers delivering vital services need adequate resources. Preventive vehicle maintenance remains necessary. The target should be inflated costs, duplication, extravagance and expenditure that produces little public benefit.
Savings must then reach their intended destinations. Institutions should publish what they have reduced, how much they have saved and how those funds support internships and essential services. Recruitment must be transparent, fair and based on clear criteria with progress monitored beyond the initial announcement.
Taxpayers deserve budgets that improve education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation and opportunities for productive work. Public money carries the hopes of families seeking better lives.
VP Ndejembi has set a worthwhile challenge. Chairpersons and chief executives must demonstrate leadership by tightening budgets and directing resources towards human development. Tanzania’s progress should be visible in stronger public services and better prospects for its young people.
