Tunis, March 25, 2013 – Today the Global Movement for Budget Transparency, Accountability and Participation (BTAP) launched the Make Budgets Public Now! Campaign at the World Social Forum. The Campaign seeks to increase budget transparency, accountability and participation in countries that currently have the least transparent budget processes, which dramatically reduces citizens’ ability to engage in decision-making processes that have a direct impact on their lives.

For this reason, the campaign will focus on ensuring that at a minimum all governments:

The Mama Misitu Campaign was launched today on 31st July 2012 at the Karim Jee Hall, Dar es Salaam by guest of Honor of the event Hon.Mwantumu Mahiza,Regional Commissioner of the Coast Region.

Tanzania's health spending is still far less than what is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), stakeholders were told today at a policy debate in Dar es Salaam.

Speaking at the breakfast event organised by the Policy Forum, Dr. Flora Kessy of the Mzumbe University said that the WHO has recommended a per capita health spending of US$54 and the government’s own target is as outlined in the third Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP III) was a per capita health spending of US$ 15.75 by 2009/10 but this has not been met.

Policy Forum, a network representing over 100 different Civil Society Organizations working together to increase informed civil society participation in policy making, together with the Tax Justice Network – Africa and Actionaid Tanzania, on Sunday 17th of June 2012 unveiled a report on Tax incentives and revenue losses in Tanzania to about 90 members of parliament in Dodoma.

As the Minister for Finance tables the National Budget for Financial Year 2012/13 in Parliament tomorrow, we, members of the Policy Forum Budget Working Group, representing over 100 different Civil Society Organisations working together to increase informed civil society participation in policy making, would like to make our contribution to this key process.

The International Monetray Fund has released an advisory note on Tanzania's Poverty Reduction Strategy paper (MKUKUTA II) as background documentation for the periodic consultation with the country. The advisory note reviews MKUKUTA II (2010/11-2014/15) which builds on MKUKUTA I to provide an operational framework for achieving the Millenium development Goals (MDGs) and Tanzania's Development Vision 2025, which aims to transform Tanzania into a middle income country.

Policy Forum this week held a special half-day discussion on illicit financial flows from Africa with two international experts on the topic. Raymond Baker, the founder and CEO of the Global Financial Integrity, the leading global institute on illicit financial flow studies was joined by Alvin Mosioma, Coordinator of the Tax Justice Network for Africa, an institution which aims to promote socially just, democratic and progressive taxation systems in Africa.

Policy Forum elected its new Board of Directors during its 2012 Annual General Meeting held in Dar es Salaam on the 4th of May. The outgoing board members are Julie Adkins of SNV Tanzania, Esther Mongi of World Vision Tanzania, Emmanuel Kallonga of HAKIKAZI-Catalyst and Kellen Mngoya of HAFOTA who retired during this AGM leaving behind Sr.

The Ministry of Finance committed itself to producing a citizen’s budget in December 2010 at a PER session.

WE, the undersigned Tanzanian Civil Society Organizations virtually convened on 13th March, 2012 to discuss the proposed EU regulations on mandatory disclosure on extractives and logging and its implications to the governance of Tanzanian oil, gas, mineral and forest sectors.

RE-AFFIRM our commitment to promote transparent, effective and efficient management of extractive resources in practice beyond just empty words; this takes strong, robust and credible monitoring mechanisms