Parliament calls for greater autonomy for environmental body

Dodoma. The government has received and is working on three key proposed amendments to the Environmental Management Act, Chapter 191, including a regulation to transform the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) into a full authority.

The Minister of State in the Vice President's Office (Union and Environment), Mr Hamad Yusuf Masauni, announced in Parliament on Friday, February 7, 2025, while discussing the activities of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water and Environment for the year 2024.

Other proposed amendments, as presented in the committee’s report by its chairperson, Mr Jackson Kiswaga, include the enactment of a Blue Economy law and the legal recognition of the National Carbon Monitoring Centre (NCMC).

In response to the proposals, Mr Masauni reiterated the government's commitment to addressing these issues, stating that a comprehensive action plan is already in place for their implementation.

He commended the committee for its efforts, praising its visionary approach to driving change in the environmental conservation sector.

“As we promised the committee, I assure you that we will act on all the recommendations made during the MPs' contributions and in the committee's report,” he said.

“We have already prepared a comprehensive action plan, and to date, we have not failed to implement any of the planned items. We are on the right track,” he added.

He further stated that the government's goal, through the Vice President’s Office, is to see these three key areas approved in the next parliamentary session, with strong collaboration.

Presenting the report earlier, Mr Kiswaga, noted that the government has fully implemented Parliament’s resolution to train local experts in conducting environmental impact assessments.

He added that between February and December 2024, the Vice President’s Office trained 75 staff members to enhance local expertise in environmental assessments.