Volatile climate fails Mkukuta

05 March 2010, Tanzania Daily News
URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/201003040707.html

Dar Es Salaam:  The first phase of the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, MKUKUTA, failed in many indicators due to volatile climatic conditions, it has been claimed.

Reduction of income poverty was one of the priority areas that were not well achieved in Mkukuta one due to majority Tanzanians' reliance on income from rain-fed agriculture, which has been fragile due to droughts and floods.

The Director for Poverty Eradication and Economic Empowerment in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ms Anna Mwasha, told the 'Daily News' today that agriculture productivity has greater impact on poverty reduction indicators.  Ms Mwasha said since income poverty is the core indicator in poverty reduction strategy, the failure to achieve it has an impact on other areas of priority.

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in a Household Survey, between 2001 and 2007 showed that poverty declined by a mere two per cent during the period.  NBS survey indicated that the proportion of Tanzania's population living below the poverty line dropped to 33.3 per cent in 2007 from 35.7 per cent in 2001, which is the difference of just 2.4 per cent.

It also shows that number of people in Tanzania who have to survive on one USD a day or less had risen by one million to 12.7 million since 2001.

Ms Mwasha named other areas that targets were not well achieved include reduction on maternal mortality, human capital development, water supply in rural areas and rural electrification.

On maternal mortality she said was caused by lack of balanced diet, long distance to clinics, poor road infrastructure, lack of facilities and enough qualified personnel in the clinics.  "You may find especially in rural areas health workers do not have ability to diagnose faster the complications with the pregnant women, and this happens not only in Tanzania but many poor countries," she said Areas that were satisfactorily achieved include increase in health centres, increase in student enrollment and gender equality drive.

The director said another reason for unsatisfactory achievement in Mkukuta II was that there were too many areas of priority which made it difficult to address all given the scarce resources available.  She said under Mkukuta phase II which its preparations started March last year, priorities areas will be scaled down to fewer priorities that will have direct impact to poverty reduction. It will be operational in July this year.

Mkukuta is the development framework for the current five year phase (2005-2010). It forms part of Tanzania's efforts to deliver on its national Vision 2025.  The focus of Mkukuta is outcome orientated and organized around three clusters: growth and reduction of income poverty, improved quality of life and social well-being, governance and accountability.