Lowassa: I’ll review the national debt

Tabora. The Ukawa coalition government will review the national debt which its presidential candidate, Mr Edward Lowassa, has said was growing at an alarming rate.

Mr Lowassa, who is seeking the country’s top job on the Chadema ticket, has promised to come up with a mechanism to repay it.

Addressing a rally at Uhuru grounds in Nzega recently, Mr Lowassa said that his government, if Ukawa coalition wins the October General Election, will reconsider government borrowing to make sure that the national debt won’t grow at the current rate.

According to Mr Lowassa, the debt has grown in the past ten years from a single digit up to at least Sh30 trillion by the start of the current fiscal year.

Statistics show that despite the fact that the government didn’t borrow much at the start of this financial year, it didn’t stop government liabilities from swelling to over Sh30 trillion.

Mr Lowassa said, as the figure stands currently, each Tanzanian has a debt of at least Sh800,000. Mr Lowassa said, the Sh30 trillion doesn’t include domestic borrowing. “Although each government borrows for economic development, our borrowing rate is alarming; that is why we will address the issue,” he said.

Mr Lowassa, who recently decamped to the opposition, commended the opposition leaders for a work well done for establishing strong opposition in the past 23 years.

The opposition coalition flag bearer specifically commended Mr Freeman Mbowe for setting ‘an alternative’ party to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

His sentiments were echoed by former Prime Minister Mr Frederick Sumaye. According to him politicians from the ruling party should join the opposition if they real need change.