Tanzania: Controversial Hunting Fees for Discussion
Samuel Kamndaya
6 July 2009

From The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)


Dodoma — The contentious issue of hunting blocks fees, is due for discussion once again in Parliament this week, when Natural Resources and Tourism minister, Ms Shamsa Mwangunga, tables her ministry's budget on Friday.

A timetable released by the Clerk of the National Assembly at the weekend, indicates that Ms Mwangunga will on Friday be required to table a detailed statement on fees for hunting trophies prior to presentation of her ministry's budget proposals.

This sounds like a deliberate move to appease MPs' not to attack the ministry over hunting blocks fees.

Ms Mwangunga acting under the advice of her ministry's experts, lowered the hunting fees during 2007/08, a decision that brought the ministry's revenue down by 38 per cent of the expected Sh48.697 billion.

The decision also brought stiff criticism in Parliament last year, with MPs accusing the ministry of lowering the fees without following proper procedures.

Ms Mwangunga came to the ministry at a time when her predecessor, Prof Jumanne Maghembe, had reviewed upwards licence fees for lucrative hunting blocks, from a mere $10,000 to $50,000.

But in the immediate aftermath of the government's announcement, hunting block owners came up in arms against the new fee structure, describing the 500 per cent increase as outrageous, forcing Ms Mwangunga to revise them downwards.

Meanwhile, the bomb blasts at Mbagala army ammunition camp in Dar es Salaam that claimed about 30 lives, destroying about 800 houses and rendering over 4,000 homeless, is also expected to rank highly in this week's Parliamentary debates.

The Defence and National Service minister, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, tables his ministry's budget estimates today.


The Home Affairs minister, Mr Lawrence Masha, is also expected to face veiled attacks from MPs due to clashes over cattle theft between the Kurya and Luo ethnic groups in Tarime District. The clashes have claimed at least 40 lives during the past few days.

MPs are also e xpected to grill Mr Masha when he tables his ministry's budget on Wednesday, over the implementation of National Identity cards.

Otherwise, little discussion is expected on Thursday when Parliament will debate budget estimates of the Community Development, Gender and Children ministry.

The house resumes today against a backdrop of historic happenings that saw the budget estimates for the Infrastructure Development ministry fail to sail through on Thursday, and was only passed on Saturday after a thorough analysis of a private motion by Ilemela MP, Mr Anthony Diallo.

Perhaps the parliment will help me decide between Tanzania and Zambia for a lion hunt. I always did think their prices were a little low!!!

Brett

These idiots will probably raise the prices to make up for lost revenue.

What now? What a bunch of typical African politicians. Can't add two and two and divide by two. I'm leaving in ten days. Hope they don't screw it up by then.

Seems Tanzania is one of the more expensive places to hunt already. Can't imagine it getting more expensive.

quote:

Originally posted by bluefin:
Can't imagine it getting more expensive.

Perhaps you're not very imaginative.

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by bluefin:
Seems Tanzania is one of the more expensive places to hunt already. Can't imagine it getting more expensive.

The reason is not because the government charges so much.

It because teh government does not apply laws that are in place already, or so I understand.

Sub-leasing is not supposed to happen, but most lease owners sub-lease their concessions.

These sub-leases change hands at rediculously ibflated prices from their original that was charged by the government.

Those charges have to be recovered, so are passed to the client, of course.

An example was Zimbabwe. Where the government charges a lot more for the concessions, and the concession owners run it. The prices were a lot cheaper.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
These idiots will probably raise the prices to make up for lost revenue.

Wow, someone who understands the African mind

Rich Elliott