Allocate budgets for plot surveys-Magufuli

The Minister for Lands and Human Settlement Development, John Magufuli yesterday directed municipal authorities in the country to allocate budgets to facilitate implementation of the plots-survey plan. The minister issued the directive as part of activities to mark the World Habitat Day, at a news conference in Dar es Salaam. Plots-survey plan is one of the government`s initiatives designed to improve housing and mitigate the alarming problem of unplanned human settlement throughout the country. According to the latest official figure, about 75 per cent of the country`s 35 million people reside in unplanned settlements. According to the minister, unplanned settlement is key to increased rate of crime in the country. ``Lack of secure towns and cities may decrease possibility of having safe settlements and peaceful society,`` he said. Magufuli said safety and security of people is under jeopardy if there was no planned and permanent human settlements, adding that high concentration of unemployed youth and unplanned settlement contributed to robbery and related incidents. It is estimated that about 74 million youth in the world have no permanent jobs, and most of them are concentrated in towns so it is difficult to contain crime under such circumstances. He said.