By JAMES KUNDA –

THE Government has spent more than K37 million towards the payment of salary arrears for workers at the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), Parliament has heard.
Transport and Communications Deputy Minister Richwell Siamunene said K37.8 million was paid out by
January this year to clear unpaid employees’ salaries.
Mr Siamunene was responding to a question by Lubansenshi Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Mucheleka who wanted to know how much Government had spent to recapitalise TAZARA in 2014 and 2015.
“The recapitalisation has been in two fold; in form of direct funding from the shareholders (Zambia and Tanzania) and economic support through the 15th protocol of economic and technical cooperation between the shareholders and China.
“All the funds released by the Zambian Government as at January 2015, were rechanneled from recapitalisation to settling salary arrears which were in excess of 10 months in counting March to December 2014,” he said.
He said the company’s total liability was US $67.5 million as of April this year.
Mr Siamunene told the House that China had however released $400,000 towards the procurement of material to improve rail infrastructure and maintain the fleet of locomotives.
“This will help boost business and a delegation from Tanzania will be in the country this Friday to discuss the future of TAZARA as we seek to make it profitable,” he said.
Parliament also heard that Government was funding the 11 water utility companies countrywide to enhance service delivery.
Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Nicholas Banda said some of the water utilities had already started receiving the funds while others would have the money before the end of the year.
Mr Banda was responding to Senanga UPND MP Likando Mufalali who wanted to know what the Government was doing to improve the water reticulation system particularly in Senanga District in Western Province.
Agriculture and Livestock deputy Minister Maxas Ng’onga told the House that Government had set aside K10 million for the procurement of vehicles for agriculture officers in all the 10 provinces.
Meanwhile, Parliament yesterday unanimously adopted the report of the Committee on Government Assurances which was tabled before the House last month.