Unguja. Rais wa Zanzibar, Dk Hussein Mwinyi amesema Serikali imeondoa ushuru wa Ongezeko la Thamani (VAT) kwa bidhaa ya sukari inayoingizwa Zanzibar ili kupunguza gharama za bidhaa hiyo.
Wakati Serikali ikiondoa ushuru huo wa asilimia 15, Dk Mwinyi amewataka wafanyabiashara kuacha tabia ya kuongeza bei za bidhaa linalowaumiza wananchi wasiokuwa na uwezo kumudu gharama kubwa.
Kwa sasa kilo moja ya sukari Zanzibar inauzwa kwa Sh3,200 kwa bei ya rejareja.
Dk Mwinyi ametoa kauli hiyo leo Februari 26, 2024 kwa nyakati tofauti alipofanya ziara maalumu ya kutembelea soko la bidhaa Jumbi, Darajani, Soko la samaki Malindi na Bandari ya Mizigo Malindi kuona hali halisi ya uuzaji wa bidhaa mbalimbali.
Hatua hiyo ni kuelekea kipindi cha mwezi mtukufu wa Ramadhan unaotarajia kuanza Machi huu.
Ametumia fursa hiyo kuwataka wafanyabiashara kuacha kupandisha bei za bidhaa makusudi kwasababu ya mfungo wa Ramadhani kwa ajili ya kujiongeza faida.
“Serikali imeshachukua jitihada za makusudi kuondoa ushuru wa VAT katika sukari inayoingizwa nchini ili kuzuia isiendelee kupanda bei wakati tunaelekea katika mwezi mtukufu wa ramadhani,” amesema Dk Mwinyi.
Amesema bei ya sukari nje ya nchi imepanda bei, ani ilikuwa ikinunuliwa tani moja kwa Dola 500 za Marekani (Sh1,150,000) na sasa Dola750 mpaka 800 (Sh1,840,000).
“Kwa hiyo tukiacha ushuru ule ule ikaja sukari humu ndani, lazima itakuwa juu lakini tulichosema kuanzia sasa mpaka bei za nje itakapokuwa sawa, tunaondoa ushuru wa VAT kwenye bei ya sukari,” amesema Rais Mwinyi.
“Ombi langu tena tusije tukaondoa ushuru halafu sukari huku ikabaki bei kubwa, mtu kama huyu tutapambana naye, maana haiwezekani huku tukupunguzie lengo liwe ni kuwasaidia watu, halafu wewe mfanyabaishara unataka kujitajirisha baada ya kuondoa ushuru.”
Amesema kufanya hivyo ni kuwaumiza wananchi wanyonge.
“Kama leo mhogo, ndizi na nafaka zingine vinatoka hapa kwetu havina ushuru, kuna sababu gani kwa wafanyabiashara kupandisha bei,” amehoji.
Awali, Mwenyekiti wa Wafanyabaishara wa Soko la Darajani, Muhamed suleiman amesema mfumko wa bei unawaumiza sio wafanyabaishara tu bali hata wananchi.
Akiwa sokoni hapo wajasiriamali wadogo wamemueleza kiongozi huyo jinsi wanavyosumbuliwa na kunyang’anywa mali zao na baadhi ya viongozi wakisingizia kuwa ni maagizo yao.
Zuhura Mohamed Khalfan anayejihusisha na biashara ndogo ndogo katika eneo hilo, amelalamikia kunyang’anywa bidhaa ilhali Serikali ilisema wajiajiri kwa sababu haina uwezo wa kuajiri watu wote.
“Mheshimiwa Rais kwa kweli tunakutana na changamoto, sote tunatafuta riziki lakini tunasombewa bidhaa zetu, mimi hapa ndio mama ndio baba nina watoto sita wote wananitegemea, lakini tunapotafuta na kusombewa bidhaa zetu wanataka tuishi wapi,” amehoji.
Suleiman Mzee amesema wanakabailiwa na changamoto kubwa ya ushuru wanaposafirisha ng’ombe mmoja kutoka Tanzania bara.
Akizungumzia kero za wafanyabiashara hao, Dk Mwinyi amesema Serikali haina lengo la kumsumbua mtu na hakuna maelekezo yake aliyoyatoa kwamba wanyang’anywe bidhaa zao bali viongozi wanaotumia kauli hiyo ni dalili ya kutokujiamini katika majukumu yao.
“Kati ya vitu vinanikera sana hii kauli za kwamba tumeagizwa na Rais, hakuna Rais wa kuagiza wananchi wake wasumbuliwe, lengo Serikali inaweka mazingira mazuri ya kufanya biashara, wizara zinazohusika, viongozi wa mkoa na manispaa mjipange kuhakikisha hili halitokei tena,” amesema.
Akiwa bandari, Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Shirika la Bandari (ZPC), Akif Ali Khamis amemueleza Rais Mwinyi kuwa kwa siku wanapakua wastani wa makontena 200.
Amesema kwa sasa kuna kontena 114 zina bidhaa za mchele, kontena 153 za mafuta ya kula na kontena 11 za bidhaa za tende zinazosubiriwa kushushwa kwa ajili ya mwezi mtukufu.
“Kuna meli nyingine sita zinakuja zimebeba shehena ya bidhaa za vyakula, kwa jinsi vitu vinavyokuja hatutegemi kama kutakuwa na upungufu wa bidhaa,” amesema Khamis.
Amesema kwa kipindi hiki wataongeza muda wa kupakua mizigo ili kuhakikisha havikwami bandarini na wataongeza pia muda wa kufanya kazi hadi usiku ili kupunguza bidhaa kukaa bandarini muda mrefu.
“Tunachoomba wafanyabiashara wamalize taratibu zao mapema iliwatuletee taarifa tujipange biadha zitoke mapema na wananchi na watumiaji wa bidhaa wafaidike na hilo,” amesema.
Source: mwananchi.co.tz
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
