Sh800m hunting revenue to go to districts, says govt
By Faraja Jube, Dodoma

From The Citizen
February 10, 2010

Local governments in which hunting activities are conducted, will share Sh800 million set aside by the government this fiscal year, it was revealed in Parliament yesterday.

The deputy minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Ezekiel Maige, said the funds will be distributed according to revenue generated from hunting in each of the district councils.

He said the exercise to evaluate share of each district with hunting blocks, has already begun.

He said the evaluation is based on hunting activities conducted during the 2008/09 financial year. He said the Treasury has already disbursed the Sh800 million to his ministry for that purpose.

Responding to a question by Namtumbo MP Vita Kawawa, deputy minister Maige said Namtumbo District would earn Sh15.4 million from the allocated funds this year.

The MP wanted to know when the government will begin allocating and disbursing revenue obtained from hunting activities to local governments.

However, the deputy minister said due to a budgetary limitations during the last financial year, all district councils which deserved share from hunting activities, did not receive their share.

Mr Maige said the ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has been contacted on the matter so that it releases arrears to the councils.