Serikali yakosa Sh340 bil uchimbaji urani

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania imeanza vibaya usimamizi wa uwekezaji wa madini ya urani, baada ya kushindwa kesi mahakamani hivyo kukosa karibu Sh340 bilioni.

Serikali kupitia Mamlaka ya Mapato Tanzania (TRA) ilifungua kesi katika Baraza la Kodi ikiituhumu Kampuni ya JSC Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ) ya Urusi, kwamba imekwepa kiasi hicho cha kodi ambacho ilidai kilipaswa kulipwa kama kodi ya ongezeko la mtaji (Capital Gain Tax).

TRA walishindwa kesi hiyo mara nne na kwa mara ya kwanza ilikuwa katika Baraza la Rufaa za Kodi (Tax Revenue Appeals Board), ambako Kampuni ya ARMZ ilikata rufaa katika kesi namba 26 na 27 za 2011 kupinga malipo ya kiasi cha kodi ilichokuwa ikidaiwa.

Baada ya kushindwa katika hatua hiyo, TRA walikata rufaa mara ya tatu mbele ya Mahakama ya Rufani za Kodi (The Tax Revenue Appeals Tribunal), lakini walishindwa hivyo kutoa uhalali wa ARMZ kutolipa fedha hizo.

TRA katika rufani zake walitaka JSC Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ) walipe kodi ya ongezeko la mtaji kwa madai kwamba kampuni hiyo ya kigeni ilikuwa imenunua hisa kutoka Kampuni ya Matra Resources Ltd, hivyo ilipaswa kulipa fedha hizo kwa mujibu wa sheria.

Msingi wa madai ya TRA ni Sheria ya Kodi ya Mapato ya 2014 kifungu cha 90 (1) kama kilivyofanyiwa marekebisho na Sheria ya   Fedha (Finance Act) ya 2012 ambayo ilipitishwa na Bunge ikielekeza kampuni zinazouza hisa zake kwa kampuni nyingine, kutozwa asilimia 20 ya kiasi cha thamani ya hisa, ikiwa ni Kodi ya Ongezeko la Mtaji.

Katika madai hayo, TRA ilitaka ilipwe kiasi cha Dola za Marekani 196 milioni, sawa na asilimia 20 ya thamani ya hisa zilizouzwa kwa ARMZ (Dola za Marekani 980 milioni) na Dola za Marekani 9.8 milioni ambazo ni ushuru wa stempu kwa mujibu wa sheria ya ushuru ya 2008. Katika hukumu zake, mahakama ilisema hakukuwa na uhamishaji wa hisa ndani ya Kampuni za Mantra, kwa sababu Mantra Tanzania ni sehemu ya kampuni tanzu ya Mantra ya Australia.

Kadhalika mahakama ilisema katika uamuzi wake kwamba, TRA haina uwezo wa kisheria kudai kodi kutoka ARMZ kwa kuwa kampuni hiyo haikusajiliwa nchini, bali Urusi ambako inapaswa kulipa kodi zake.

Kauli za TRA, wizara

Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, Profesa Sospeter Muhongo alipoulizwa kuhusu uamuzi huo unaoikosesha Tanzania mabilioni ya fedha alisema hana taarifa.

“Sina taarifa hiyo, waulize TRA, pengine wanafahamu,” alijibu Profesa Muhongo kwa ujumbe mfupi wa maandishi kupitia simu yake ya kiganjani.

Mkurugenzi wa Elimu na Huduma za Mlipa Kodi wa TRA, Richard Kayombo alisema hana taarifa rasmi kuhusu suala hilo.

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM VIA INTERNET- DAY 3

We started at 9 am by pitching stories. After writing stories we uploaded to our blogs and provided some links.

I am so happy on the way we learn by doing

I have learned how to search a story from different links and write my own by using the sources from those links.

I did about the The Mtwara gas saga in which I researched the whole process which the government has done in the investment of gas and oil. I found that Mtwara people had a reason to confront the government on how they could benefit from the gas investment.

I also found that the governemnt has stick on its stand that the gas must benefit the whole nation rather than Mtwara people themselves.

I also learned that, the exploration and production of gas is very expensive, thus the government has employ foreign companies to invest. However the question remain on whether Tanzania will benefit or it will just be a resource curse?

In order to improve the training in the future, more materials should be given and it should be done out of Dar es Salaam.

I would like to thank Peik Johansson a trainer and consultant who trained us for three days and Ms Cecilia Mung'ong'o for house keeping and my fellow participants:
Imma Mbuguni, Athuman Sharif, Seif Jige, Joyce Shebe, Mark Mkwama, Sylvia Mwehozi, Hlda Mhagama and Basil Msongo.

Gas Mtwara

 

Elias Msuya 

Natural resource is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly includes varying amounts of other higher alkanes and even a lesser percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. It is an energy source often used for heating, cooking, and electricity generation. It is also used as fuel for vehicles and as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of plastics and other commercially important organic chemicals. 

It is found in deep underground rock formations or associated with other hydrocarbon reservoirs in coal beds and as methane clathrates. Petroleum is also another resource found in proximity to and with natural gas. Most natural gas was created over time by two mechanisms: biogenic and thermogenic. Biogenic gas is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, landfills, and shallow sediments. 

Deeper in the earth, at greater temperature and pressure, thermogenic gas is created from buried organic material. Before natural gas can be used as a fuel, it must undergo processing to remove impurities, including water, to meet the specifications of marketable natural gas. The by-products of processing include ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes, and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide (which may be converted into pure sulfur), carbon dioxide, water vapor, and sometimes helium and nitrogen. 

Natural gas is often informally referred to simply as gas, especially when compared to other energy sources such as oil or coal. However, it is not to be confused with gasoline, especially in North America, where the term gasoline is often shortened in colloquial usage to gas. 

Will Tanzania benefit? 

Tanzania is rich in natural gas having the total of 15 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, equivalent to approximately US$150 billion at current prices, or 6 times Tanzania's current GDP. 

However, larger investments than the country’s current GDP of US$22 billion and new technologies are necessary, while benefits will typically spread over 25 to 30 years. It is expected that, Tanzania would get around 40% of total revenues depending on the tax regime and the share production agreement. 

Which means, around 7% of its projected GDP or about 1/3 of its current fiscal revenues if all above reserves can be exploited. These fiscal resources, while considerable, will not be sufficient to transform Tanzania.

The Tanzanian gas invenstment is controlled by The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) which is the State corporation through which the Ministry of Energy and Minerals implements its petroleum exploration anddevelopment policies. 

TPDC is responsible for exploration, production and technical services, finance and administration, managing diractor and marketing and investiment. It was established under the Public Corporations Act No.17 through the Government NoticeNo.140 of 30th May 1969. The Corporation began operations in 1973. 

For the time being, gas investment is done while its policy is on process. Foreign investment According to TPDC several foreign companies from are exploring for natural gas in Tanzania and especially Mtwara region where the gas pipeline to Dar es Salaam is under construction. 

The companies are Pan African Energy which has invested in Songosongo gas pipeline, Maurel & Prom which has invested in Mnazi Bay Gas Development Bigwa - Mafia Channel, Ndovu/Aminex which has invested in Nyuni - East Songo Songo Ruvuma, Petrodel which is at Latham – Kimbiji, Afren plc which is at Tanga, BG International, Statoill at deep sea Block-2, Petrobras at deep sea Block 5,6,8. 

Others are Dominion at deep sea block -7, Ophir East Africa Ventures Limited at Pande East, Beach Petroleum at Lake Tanganyika South, Dodsal at Ruvu, Heritage Rukwa (TZ) Ltd at Lake Rukwa Basin Kyela Basin, Swala Energy at Kilosa-Kilombero Basin Pangani Basin, Motherland Homes at Malagarasi Basin, Open Acreage at Kisangire – Lukurilo, Mandawa, Selous and West Songo Songo. 

The Mtwara saga 

Since the end of last year, there have been riots in Mtwara region in which people claimed to be isolated in gas investment. The issue started by demonstrations which were organized by several political parties and civil societies. Through it the Mtwara people opposed the pipeline project to Dar es Salaam. 

After that, the government intervene by using the police force to supress their opposition. Apart from the forces, the Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda and other ministers, visited Mtwara so as to calm the people and to emphacise the good will of the government to them. By doing so, the situation get cooled for a while. 

However, in May during the budget session in Dodoma, the riots errupted again when the minister for Energy and Minerals, Professor Sospeter Muhongo insisted that the project must be done. In this time, the government used the police force and the People’s defence force to supress opposition. Some people died and other were injured during the fight. Many houses were burnt and destructed. 

To make the matter understandable to people, the Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda visited for the second time so as to find the solution. He also innaugurated the cement factory owned by Aliko Dangote, the Nigerian investor as the fruits of gas investment in Mtwara. 

Despite intervention of the government by force and diplomacy, still Mtwara People are not satsfactory with the whole process, saying that they will not benefit. In fact they need the whole process to be done in Mtwara, something which would make the region to be industrialised and hence developed. But the government insist that, the Mtwara gas is for the whole nation and it will be transported to Dar es Salaam for electrical generation. 

The government arrogance 

Speaking recently at the gas stakeholders conference in Dar es Salaam, the minister for Energy and Minerals Professor Sospeter Muhongo says the government is in control of the situation to benefit from oil and gas resources. 

“Know where we are going and we need our country to adopt gas economy. That’s why we started with Songosongo project and now the Mtwara one,” says Professor Muhongo. “In order the country to develop, first it might support science and technology. India, China and Malaysia have passed across,” he adds. 

Citing examples of Brazil and South Africa which have produce a large number of graduates from the field of oil and gas; he says that the government has also sponsored more students in the same field to increase skilled personnel. 

On the other hand he challenged the Tanzania Private Sector foundation that, it is not matured enough to invest in oil and gas. “Let me just be frank on this, no Tanzanian company is capable to invest in gas especially in deep sea. You first need to go 80 kilometer beyond the sea and you dig deeper three kilometer. You might end up with nothing…” 

“You can’t use a loan from commercial bank because it has no guarantee. Petrobrass which is a multinational company, has used USD175 million and loose the deal. What about our local companies?” However, he encourages the private sector to try minor projects rather than competing in big deals claiming on indigenous favoritism.

JOURNALISTIC RESEARCH VIA INTERNET

What we did in day 2 Journalistic research via internet In the second day we have learn more about investigative journalism via internet. In a summary I have learned; • How to Structure story in mind on the paper • To decide what is related to a story • To simplify with some words • Use some quotations when necessary • To understand what I write because I am ther one to make people aware of it • Human interest, provide concrete examples • To provide links to original sources • Think about headlines, visual outlooks, quotes, images, graphics, etc. • Spend much more time on finding • Plan my story into narrative manner • Plan how to use yor time, research writing, editing, checking facts and delivering the story. I like the way the facilitator teach us I didn't attain the research assignment, because I went to an office for an emergence.

Tanzania journalists investigating online

At the day 1 we started our training at 10 by introducing our self and our facilitator. after the introduction we took some tea and sessions begun. I liked the way our facilitator teach us, discussions and we are learning by doing. I dislike the way we prolonging matters versus time. I have learned about the online investigative journalism. in fact it is not far from physical investigative journalism, but it is just based on internet materials. We have learned how to create our own weblogs and to feed some materials we find from other sources. We also learned how to search materials through Google. Not only that but also to use Google maps to search places and people. It is a technique of increasing knowledge on what you want to investigate. Examples is the searching of tips like the recent President Jakaya Kikwete's speech at Kisarawe district on land issues and we also discussed about the ban of newspapers in Tanzania.

INTERNET INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

I am Elias Msuya, working for Mwananchi Communications Ltd in Dar. It is a pleasure to attend a three days training on internet investigative journalism in Dar es Salaam. Nice to meet my colleagues and mentors here. I expect to improve my knowledge and for the sake of our national journalism.

SERIKALI YAFUNGIA MWANANCHI & MTANZANIA

Dar es Salaam. Serikali jana ilitangaza kuyafungia magazeti ya Mwananchi na Mtanzania kuanzia Septemba 27, 2013 kwa kile ilichoeleza kuwa ni mwenendo wa magazeti hayo kuandika habari za uchochezi na uhasama. Taarifa iliyotolewa jana na Mkurugenzi wa Habari (MAELEZO), Assah Mwambene ilisema gazeti la Mwananchi limefungiwa kwa siku 14 na gazeti la Mtanzania limefungiwa kwa siku 90. Magazeti hayo yamefungiwa kutokana na kuandika habari na makala zilizoelezwa zina nia ya kusababisha wananchi wakose imani kwa vyombo vya dola na kuhatarisha amani. “Gazeti la MWANANCHI limefungiwa kutochapishwa kwa siku kumi na nne(14) kuanzia 27 Septemba, 2013. Adhabu hii imetangazwa kwa Tangazo la Serikali(Government Notice )Namba 333 la tarehe 27 septemba,2013,” yasema taarifa hiyo. Kwa taarifa zaidi, tazama nakala ya tamko kamili la serikali juu ya kufungiwa kwa magazeti ya Mwananchi na Mtanzania hapo chini. TAMKO KAMILI LA SERIKALI Serikali imeyafungia kutochapishwa Magazeti ya MWANANCHI na MTANZANIA kuanzia 27 Septemba, 2013 kutokana na mwenendo wa magazeti hayo kuandika habari na makala za uchochezi na uhasama kwa nia ya kusababisha wananchi wakose imani kwa vyombo vya dola hivyo kuhatarisha amani na mshikamano ulipo nchini. Gazeti la MWANANCHI limefungiwa kutochapishwa kwa siku kumi na nne(14) kuanzia 27 Septemba, 2013.Adhabu hii imetangazwa kwa Tangazo la Serikali(Government Notice )Namba 333 la tarehe 27 Septemba, 2013. Gazeti la MWANANCHI limepewa adhabu hiyo kutokana na hivi karibuni kuchapisha habari zenye mwelekeo wa uchochezi na uvunjifu wa amani,mfano tarehe 17 Julai, 2013 katika toleo Namba 4774 ilichapisha habari isemayo “MISHAHARA MIPYA SERIKALINI 2013” kwa kuchapisha waraka uliozuiliwa kwa matumizi ya vyombo vya habari waraka huo ulikuwa wa Siri haukupaswa kuchapishwa Magazetini. Aidha, katika toleo la Jumamosi, tarehe 17 Agosti, 2013 lilichapisha habari yenye kichwa kisemacho “WAISLAM WASALI CHINI YA ULINZI MKALI” habari hiyo ilikolezwa na picha ya mbwa mkali mwenye hasira.Habari na picha hiyo ilitoa tafsiri ya kuwa Jeshi la Polisi lilipeleka Mbwa katika maeneo ya ibada ya waumini wa dini ya kiislam.Jambo ambalo halikuwa la ukweli. Jeshi la Polisi katika doria siku hiyo halikupeleka mbwa katika maeneo ya Misikiti.Serikali na jeshi la Polisi linaheshimu na kuzingatia maadili ya dini ya Kiislamu na kwa hiyo Jeshi lake haliwezi kupitisha au kuingiza mbwa katika maeneo ya ibada. Hivyo basi,kwa gazeti hili kuchapisha habari iliyokolezwa na picha ya mbwa ni uchochezi wa kulichonganisha Jeshi la Polisi na waumini wa dini ya kiislam mbwa ni najisi hapaswi kuingia katika maeneo ya ibada.