Hots up The ongoing sugar crisis

Sugar crisis debate hots upThe ongoing sugar crisis yesterday captured the parliament with some MPs requesting for acessation of all other House business and debate the issue as a matter of emergency. Nzega MP (CCM) Mr Hussein Bashe raised the matter after the end of morning question andanswer session, requesting Deputy Speaker Ms Tulia Ackson to postpone the budget debate for
the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and instead ponder on the state of sugar
supply in the country.Athuman Mtulya @mtulya amtulya@tz.nationmedia.com
Dodoma. The ongoing sugar crisis yesterday captured the parliament with some MPs requesting for
a cessation of all other House business and debate the issue as a matter of emergency.
Nzega MP (CCM) Mr Hussein Bashe raised the matter after the end of morning question and
answer session, requesting Deputy Speaker Ms Tulia Ackson to postpone the budget debate for the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and instead ponder on the state of sugar supply in
the country.
“Madam Deputy Speaker, the sugar situation is getting worse day by day. The commodity is very
scarce in the streets, and where available it is sold for skyrocketing prices,” said Mr Bashe, as other
MPs applaud.
However, Mr Bashe was immediately cut short by the Deputy Speaker who said the situation could
not be debated at that point since the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa had already explained about
it in the Parliament on Tuesday and Thursday of last week, and the MPs should wait for a new
update about the matter from the government.
Last week as he was winding up the Budget Speech for his Office, the PM conceded that there is
shortage of sugar in the country, and said the government had already procured 100,000 metric
tonnes which was on the way to the country. He told the House that the actual demand of sugar in
the country annually is 420,000 tonnes while the capacity of local producers is 320,000 tonnes.
“Indeed, our stock of the commodity has dwindled in the recent days, but the government has
already procured a consignment which will arrive in the country soon. I want to assure Tanzanians
that the situation will normalise soon.”
The PM noted that the country currently has a stock of 37,000 tonnes and reminded all dealers to
adhere to the fixed retail price of Sh1,800 per kilo, reiterating that stern action will be taken against
any act of hoarding, and directed trade officers in all local government authorities across the country
to make a follow­up and ensure the commodity is sold.
Even with the PM’s assurance to the people and directives to trade officers the situation has not
normalized and the commodity continues to be scarce. “In My constituency sugar is sold for up to
Sh4000 per kilo, that is insane, something has to be done immediately,” said Mr Bashe outside the
parliament