President Jakaya Kikwete pledged continued support to the National Service, JKT, to enable it fulfill its institutional obligations and has announced that government would dish out 92 million US dollars (about 138bn/-) to boost it financially.
THE Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Jakaya Kikwete, inspects a guard of honour by a section of the National Service, JKT, during celebrations to mark the force’s Golden Jubilee (50 years) at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam. (Photo by Robert Okanda)
The money will be in addition to 140 million US dollars dished out earlier for the purchase of tractors and the new capital will be spent on importation of more tractors to be sold to farmers who venture into modern farming under the Kilimo Kwanza initiative.
According to President Kikwete, the deliberate move aims at empowering National Service’s economic wing, Suma JKT, to be able to sustainably take part in the economic development of the nation.
“We have decided to empower the National Service through SUMA JKT and in so doing we will equally offer it major government projects, but on condition that they must be managed professionally and efficiently,” he said.
President Kikwete, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said this when he was officiating at the 50th anniversary of the National Service at Mgulani in Dar es Salaam.
President Kikwete said the nation was proud of the National Service, which he said has done a lot in training more than 305,000 youths to become good leaders and responsible citizens through skills, ethics and patriotism.
He said the National Service has passed through different challenging moments mostly in 1993 and 1994 when it was forced to close down and stop mandatory and compulsory enrolment due to financial constraints.
He recalled when he resorted to revive it when he assumed the office in 2005 with the target of uplifting self-reliance spirit among the youths through various programmes like education and agriculture and was glad that at last it resumed operations last year.
The President thanked all those who have shown interest to joining it including 20 Members of Parliament (MPs) challenging other members of the public to emulate the move.
Despite a number of challenges facing it, the president said the National Service must strive hard to become more innovative, creative and productive enough to meet expectations of the public particularly its active engagement in resource mobilization and quality production.
Apart from boosting its capital, he said the National Service’s annual budget will be increased while SUMA JKT will be empowered to ensure it caters for demand in the local market while it produces surplus for export.
The Head of State thanked Israel for supporting the establishment of the National Service as the country deployed a team of first instructors to train local officers here and in Israel.
“Please convey our thanks to President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the kind support,” he told the Israel Ambassador accredited to Tanzania, Mr Gil Haskel, who also attended the ceremony.
Others in attendance were the Heads of National Service from Mozambique and Zambia, the Minister for Defence and National Service Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha and National Service Head Major General Raphael Muhuga.
The ceremony was also attended by Brigadier General Dismas Msilu and Zainab Kiango, both of whom retired in 1994, who were among the service’s first 11 recruits in 1963.
By PIUS RUGONZIBWA, Tanzania Daily News
