Shein marks year in office, savours Zanzibar progress
ZANZIBAR has been performing well economically, socially and politically with huge expectations of a better future, President Ali Mohamed Shein said yesterday as he marked one year of his second term in office.
“Surely, Zanzibar performed well in the past year with improved education, water, roads, and health services. Thanks to residents and security forces for maintaining peace and stability -- prerequisite for our development,” Dr Shein told journalists at State House.
He said that increasing financial discipline, cutting down unnecessary travels, and minimizing expenditure were other reasons for good performance in the past year.
Dr Shein who won the rerun of the general election on March 20, 2016 and swornin for his second five-year term in office, said good revenue collection of more than 504bn/= in eleven months has enabled the government to settle the debt of 38.2bn/= for 2,739 pensioners.
“The government now owes 26 pensioners their dues and will be paid soon. We will continue paying monthly universal pensions of 20,000/= to each elderly aged 70 and above. Next month will be good for government employees receiving basic salary of 150,000/= as it will be doubled,” he said.
He went on to project economic growth from the current 6.6 per cent, appealing to members of the public to work hard in line with maintaining peace in the islands which relies on tourism, agriculture, and cloves as a main contributor to the economy.
Dr Shein said foreign and local investors like Azam group of companies have been working on big projects including housing, first class hotels, recreation centres, roads and light industries which provides opportunities for employment to youths.
Learning institutions including nine modern schools are under construction through a loan from the World Bank, Dr Shein told journalists adding that, Japan, China and India have approved Millions of US dollars for projects that will see end of water blues in the Islands.
Other areas of development in his administration include improvement of the public media ‘ZBC-Radio, TV, and the Zanzibar-Leo daily newspaper, saying some important equipment have been purchased.
Source : Daily News
