Kikwete welcomes critics

PRESIDENT jakaya Kikwete, WITH THE Mayor of Milan, Letizia Arnaboldi, shortly after addressing Tanzanian and Italinan business person on yesterday

PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete yesterday spoke positively of public criticism of his government by the opposition, saying it reflected success of democracy in the country.



“I am not perturbed by the noises. I don’t lose sleep over it. It is healthy for the opposition to speak, even shout at and criticize (us), as long as they don’t incite public unrest,” he told Tanzanians living in Italy here.



Opposition politicians have been parading sweeping allegations of corruption against cabinet ministers and senior government officials, some of whom are now processing defamation suits.



Mr Kikwete reassured countrymen and women in the Diaspora that there was no political crisis at home. “The noises are normal in multi-party politics,” he said.



He reiterated that future mining contracts would not carry the clause strictly tying the payment of corporate tax to profitability, which allows investors to defer the obligation indefinitely.


Elimination of the provision contained in previous contracts would allow investors to keep two thirds of the returns and the government one third, which was a fair deal, said the president.



He explained that local capacity would be employed to audit mineral production in place of expensive foreign assayers. Mining companies would be compelled to source supplies and such services as earth excavation and movement locally.



Meanwhile, President Kikwete said the proposal to allow Tanzanians living abroad dual citizenship, reiterated here yesterday, had won hostile reception at home. He urged patience while consensus was summoned on the merits of the proposal.



“This has been the wish of every Tanzanian abroad I have met, but the reaction at home is rather hostile and, I am afraid, the proposal will be rejected outright if we push it too hard now,” he explained, adding that the Law Reform Commission was handling the process.



He said the government was examining the logistics for another request raised here to enable Tanzanians to vote outside the country.



The president urged Tanzanians in the Diaspora to be good ambassadors and remit resources home to improve the welfare of their families and relatives.



Mr Kikwete left here for Naples last evening. He is scheduled to address an international inter-faith conference on peace today before flying to Paris for a three-day visit in France.