The Speaker of the AU Parliament, Getrude Mongela has urged the government to invest heavily in the Songo Songo gas which she described as the only way for the country to deal with the energy crisis.
The Ukerewe Member of Parliament (CCM) was contributing to a budget speech of the Minister for Energy and Minerals, William Ngeleja towards the end of the week.
She said the price of oil in the world market stood at 143 US Dollars per barrel. According to some estimates she said the price would reach 150US$ per barrel in the nearest future.
``The issue here is not for us to stockpile oil, we must make sure that we find another energy alternative,`` she urged.
She said it was time for Tanzania to concentrate on developing Songosongo gas adding: ``This is the time to leave everything and concentrate on the gas to make sure that it is being used internally and outside the country,`` he said.
She said the country through the ministry of energy and minerals should find out countries which could use the source of energy.
``The ministry should not fear to engage in more energy contracts because of the bogus contracts it experienced in the past.
We must make sure that the SongoSongo gas is fully exploited. This is a very valuable natural resource that God has bestowed us with,`` she said.
The outspoken Member of Parliament also asked the government to seriously look into the issue of planting trees for energy source.
``For me I do not think that I would leave firewood if there is no alternative energy source,`` she said. I cannot die of hunger for the sake of protecting environment,`` she said.
Meanwhile the government has been advised to remove the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) from the list of companies to be privatised.
The advice was sounded by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Energy and Minerals, William Shelukindo in Parliament over the week-end while reacting to a 2008/2009 budget speech for the Ministry of Energy and Minerals.
In his presentation which was read on his behalf by a committee member, Christopher Ole-Sendeka, Shelukindo said STAMICO which was established in the year 1972 under the State Mining Corporation (Establishment Order Act 1969) has since 1972 operated singly without government subsidy.
He said among the assignments undertaken by STAMICO since the year 1972 was the development of mining areas in partnership with mining companies like Tan Can Mining Company Limited, TANZAM 2000 and Geo Can Resources Limited from Canada.
According to the committee, STAMICO has managed to make its own five-year strategic plan to help the small-scale miners.
``This shows that STAMICO can perform better if it is well financed.
The committee insists that STAMICO should be removed from the list of companies to be privatised, `` the committee said.
STAMICO under the Public Corporation Act, 1969 was given the mandate of overseeing the mining activities in the country.
It was also entrusted with the work of conducting researches and mining among other things.
`` The law which formed STAMICO must be revived so that the company should implement its objectives in line with today\'s demands, `` the statement said.
It also asked the government to pay STAMICO some 171m/- that Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC) owes the government for the past ten years so that it could pay PPF and NSSF dues to its retiring workers.
* SOURCE: Sunday Observer
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