20bn/- earmarked for army camps facelift

by Simba Nyamaume in Monduli

The government is to spend some Tsh. 20 Billion during the next two years to renovate or build new residential houses and infrastructure in camps of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) and the National Service .

The Minister for Defence and National Service, Professor Philemon Sarungi has said that 12 Billion shillings of the amount will be spent for the construction of new houses for commanders, officers and combatants while some 8 Billion shillings are for the renovation programme which is already underway. Some 200 houses in Dodoma and Monduli have undergone repair work.

Professor Sarungi said this during his tour of Monduli district last week. He was inspecting development projects under the TPDF . He visited the Sofa Camps along the Arusha-Dodoma highway where 90 army residential houses have been refurbished.

The minister also visited the Tanzania Military Academy (TMA) in Monduli where he commended the TPDF soldiers for renovating a number of premises including kitchens, officers’ mess, latrines and recreational areas.

He said the construction of new houses in army camps throughout the country would begin as soon as a 20 Billion shillings loan is obtained from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and that the construction work would proceed hand in hand with the renovation process.

The construction of new houses will also include the building of hotels, schools, dispensaries and roads at army camps. This is aimed at returning to the barracks some 1,000 soldiers living outside the camps.

The minister who also visited Hai and Mwanga districts in Kilimanjaro region also urged soldiers to fully participate in activities to control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Last modified: October 30, 2003.
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