JPM Gives Defaulters 30 Days to Pay Up
Dar es Salaam —
President John Magufuli yesterday issued a 30-day ultimatum to public
and private institutions to pay Suma JKT debts amounting to Sh38.3
billion.
The debts relate to
the sale of tractors to the institutions by Suma-JKT. This is in
addition to debts amounting to Sh3 million that are also owed to
Suma-JKT by other institutions which availed themselves of security
guard services from Suma-JKT, the investment/economic wing of the
Tanzania National Service that was established in 1982 as National
Service Corporation Sole.
Revealing that
"public and private institutions bought tractors from Suma-JKT at a
total cost of Sh40 billion," the president stated that only Sh2 billion
of that amount has so far been paid.
"I know that some
of the tractors have been loaned to some (public and private
institutions)," the president said, directing the Defence minister to
write to the borrowers, under copy to State House, to demand payment of
the outstanding debt.
"Even if it is the
State House which acquired some of the tractors, do not be afraid to
write to us because we are supposed to settle the debt," added the
president - insisting that the outstanding payments must be collected
soonest to enable Suma-JKT to continue with business, including
establishing industries.
"Tanzanians have
the tendency to overlook matters - and it's a very bad sign that they
are now doing this to the military," Dr Magufuli lamented.
Upon expiry of the
30 days ultimatum, the President directed security and defence organs -
including the military police of the Tanzania People's Defence Force
(TPDF) - to take action against the defaulters.
Later, The Citizen
learnt through an insider who spoke on condition of anonymity that some
of the defaulters include MPs, regional and district commissioners as
well as ordinary Tanzanians.
Suma-JKT has so far
invested a total of Sh8.793 billion in assorted development projects -
and continues to do so with every arising opportunity.
In that regard, the
minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, told
participants at the ceremony that inauguration of the investment centre
is testimony to the army's support for the government's
industrialisation drive.
The minister
revealed that TPDF is currently in negotiations with prospective
investors from Egypt aimed at establishing a pharmaceutical plant in
Tanzania.
Earlier, the head
of the National Services, Major General Martin Busungu, said Suma-JKT
has invested in five projects through the investment centre.
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