Stakeholders call for changes in Rubada Act

VARIOUS stakeholders have called for amendment of the Rufiji Basin Development Authority (Rubada) Act of 1975 to enable the institution operate smoothly without affecting other laws.

The Director General of Rubada, Mr Aloyce Masanja, said this at a news conference in Dar es Salaam, after a meeting held to collect views of various stakeholders on Rubada Act.

"The stakeholders include officials from institutions dealing with matters related to land, water, tourism, energy, industries, river basins and the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF)," He said the stakeholders have identified many weaknesses in the Rubada Act and called for changes on the statute to meet the desired demand.

Mr Masanja the law was supposed to be dynamic and move with time. "Since its enactment in 38 years ago, the law has not been changed to go with time although the country has gone through many transformation on social, economic and political policies," Mr Masanja explained.

He said issues under Rubada's jurisdiction include development and promotion of agriculture, electricity generation, tourism, water conservation and other economic activities in the Rufiji River Basin," Mr Masanja said.

"The Rubada Act cannot be implemented smoothly at present because there has been so many acts the conflict with it including the Land Act and Village Land act of 1999.

He said the views of the stakeholders would be presented to the cabinet in February, next year, for further decisions.

The Coast Region Administrative Secretary, Ms Bertha Swai, said Rubada was responsible for the implementation of the (Southern Agricultural Corridor for Tanzania (SAGCOT) in Coast, Lindi, Morogoro, Mbeya and Ruvuma. "The project has been very successful," she said.

Daily News Tanzania.