SERIKALI YATETA NA RC

Waziri wa Nchi, Ofisi ya Rais; Mahusiano na Uhusiano, Stephen Wassira akiongea na Rais wa Baraza la Maaskofu wa Kanisa Katoliki Tanzania, Askofu Tarcisius  Ngalalekumtwa alipotembelea makazi ya Askofu huyo mjini Iringa. Picha na Ofisi ya Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Iringa.

BARAZA LA BIASHARA LA MKOA LIKABILI CHANGAMOTO

IRINGA

Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Iringa amewataka wajumbe wa Baraza la biashara la Mkoa kuzikabili changamoto mbalimbali zinazokabili utendaji kazi wa baraza hilo.

Ushauri huo umetolewa na Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Iringa, Dkt. Christine Ishengoma wakati akifungua mkutano wa maandalizi ya baraza la biashara la 

Mkoa wa Iringa katika ukumbi wa mikutano wa Siasa ni Kilimo mjini Iringa.

Dkt. Christine amesema kuwa baraza la biashara linazo changamoto lukuki katika utekelezaji wa majukumu yake. Amezitaja changamoto hizo kuwa ni pamoja na upatikanaji wa wajumbe walio na dhamira na wakilishi wa dhati katika baraza. Amesema upatikanaji wa fedha za kuendesha vikao, tafiti na ufuatiliaji pia ni changamoto.

Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Iringa ameyataja madhumuni na kazi za baraza la Mkoa kuwa ni pamoja na kutoa utaratibu kwa ajili ya madiliano na mazungumzo ya Sekta ya Umma na binafsi kwa lengo la kufikia muafaka kuhusu masuala ya kimkakati yanayohusiana na usimamizi thabiti wa rasilimali za maendeleo.

Amesema majukumu mengine ni kubadilishana mawazo kuhusu mazingira ya uendeshaji na taratibu za pamoja na kupendekeza njia za kurahisisha huduma za umma, kuboresha utoaji wa huduma za umma, kuongeza mahusiano mazuri na sekta binafsi. Mengine ni kupitia kila mara maendeleo katika mazingira ya biashara ya ndani na nje, changamoto na fursa zinazoletwa Iringa na kujadili hatua za kuchukua.

Dkt. Christine ameyataja madhumuni mengine kuwa ni kupitia upya na kupendekeza mabadiliko katika mazingira ya Sera mbalimbali ili kuongeza uvutiaji wa vitega uchumi vya ndani na nje, na kuboresha ushindani wa bidhaa bora za Tanzania katika soko la nje. Amesema kuhimiza na kukuza uanzishwaji  wa Sera na utaratibu wa masuala ya kijamii na kiuchumi.

Ikumbukwe kuwa mabaraza ya biashara yalianzishwa kwa waraka wa Rais, Namba 1 wa mwaka 2001 kwa lengo la kukuza na kuendeleza majadiliano kati ya sekta ya umma na binafsi nchini.

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SERIKALI KUENDELEZA USHIRIKIANO NA WADAU WA SEKTA YA AFYA

IRINGA

Serikali itaendelea kushirikiana na wadau mbalimbali katika kutoa na kuboresha huduma katika sekta ya afya nchini kwa lengo la kumuhudumia vizuri mwananchi.

Kauli hiyo imetolewa na mkuu wa mkoa wa Iringa, Dkt. Christine Ishengoma katika hotuba yake iliyosomwa kwa niaba yake na Mkuu wa Wilaya ya Iringa, Dkt. Leticia Warioba wakati wa ufunguzi wa jengo la huduma ya upasuaji wa macho pamoja na kituo cha huduma ya kupima na kutengeneza miwani katika hospitali ya rufaa ya mkoa wa Iringa.

Dkt. Christine amesema kuwa Serikali itaendelea kushirikiana na wadau mbalimbali wa maendeleo katika kuhakikisha wananchi wanapata huduma bora za afya kwa sababu Serikali peke yake haiwezi kutekeleza jukumu hilo.

Akiongelea ufunguzi wa jengo la huduma ya upasuaji wa macho pamoja na kituo cha huduma ya kupima na kutengeneza miwani, amesema kuwa shughuli hiyo imegharimu zaidi ya shilingi milioni 70 zikiwa ni ukarabati wa jengo la huduma ya upasuaji. Amesema shilingi milioni 35 zimetumika kununua vifaa tiba vilivyopo katika kituo cha kupima na kutengeneza miwani zikiwa ni misaada kutoka mashirika ya Sightsavers na taasisi ya Brien Holden Vision.

Amesema kuwa mashirika hayo yameonesha dhamira ya wazi ya kushirikiana na Serikali ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania katika kutekeleza Sera ya ushirikiano kati ya Serikali na sekta binafsi katika kuimarisha huduma za jamii.

Aidha, amewataka watumishi wa idara ya afya hasa huduma za macho kuhakikisha wanatumia msaada huo kwa malengo yaliyokusudiwa. Kwa wasimamizi wa huduma za afya katika hospitali ya rufaa ya mkoa wa Iringa kuhakikisha vifaa vyote vilivyotolewa na wadau vinaingizwa katika leja ya hospitali na kutunzwa kwa kufanyiwa matengenezo na matengeneza kinga kama inavyotakiwa ili viweze kutoa huduma kwa muda mrefu.

Katika taarifa ya huduma za mradi jumuishi wa macho Iringa iliyowasilishwa na Daktari bingwa wa macho katika hospitali ya rufaa ya mkoa wa Iringa, Dkt. George Kabona amesema kuwa shughuli za mradi jumuishi wa huduma za macho mkoani Iringa ulianzishwa mwaka 1998 kwa ushirikiano kati ya Ofisi ya Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Iringa na shirika lisilo la kiserikali la Sightsavers. 

Amesema kuwa lengo kubwa la mradi huo ni kuhakikisha watu wote wenye upofu unaozuilika wanapatiwa huduma ya kuepukana na upofu huo na wale wenye upofu usiozuilika wanapatiwa elimu bora hasa watoto.

Dkt. Kabona amezitaja shughuli za mradi huo zilizogawanyika katika sekta tatu kuwa ni afya ya macho, elimu jumuishi na utengamao.

Akiongelea mafanikio ya mradi huo, amesema kuwa sekta hiyo imepata mafanikio makubwa na kuyataja kuwa ni pamoja na kuweza kuwaona na kuwapatia huduma wagonjwa 76,471 katika mkoa mzima wa Iringa kati ya mwaka 2009-2011. Mafanikio mengine ni kufanyika kwa upasuaji kwa wagonjwa 6,280 katika kipindi hicho.

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WAZIRI KAGASHEKI AANZA KUTATUA KERO ZA VIBALI VYA UVUNAJI KATIKA SHAMBA LA MITI SAO HILL

WAZIRI KAGASHEKI AANZA KUTATUA KERO ZA VIBALI VYA UVUNAJI KATIKA SHAMBA LA MITI SAO HILL

Waziri Kagasheki

Waziri wa Maliasili na Utalii Mheshimiwa Khamis Suedi Kagasheki amewaruhusu watu 292 ambao vibali vyao vilisitishwa mwezi Januari mwaka huu, kutokana na utata uliojitokeza, kuendelea na uvunaji katika Shamba la Sao Hill. Waziri Kagasheki ametoa ruhusa hiyo baada ya kujiridhisha kuwa watu hao walipata vibali hivyo kwa kufuata taratibu za uvunaji.

Mheshimiwa Kagasheki wakati alipotembelea Wilaya ya Mufindi Mkoani Iringa tarehe 25 na 26 Januari 2013 ili kusikiliza kero zilizopo Wilayani humo kuhusiana na Shamba la miti la Sao Hill, aliahidi kufanyia kazi baadhi ya masuala yaliyojitokeza.

Kuhusu suala la vibali 292 vilivyotolewa katika msimu wa mwaka 2012/13 na kusitishwa wakati wa ziara yake, Waziri Kagasheki amelifanyia kazi na kubaini kuwa matatizo na changamoto zilizojitokeza zilitokana na utendaji katika kipindi cha mpito, hususan mabadiliko ya utaratibu wa utoaji vibali vya uvunaji.

Hivyo, wadau hao 292 ambao hawana vibali rasmi vilivyochapishwa kutokana na kutumika utaratibu wa zamani, wameruhusiwa kukamilisha taratibu na kupewa vibali rasmi vya uvunaji.

Ruhusa hii inawahusu wavunaji wote waliofuata taratibu zote za usajili, ikiwa ni pamoja na kupata usajili na kulipia maduhuli na tozo mbalimbali za Serikali ambavyo ndivyo vigezo muhimu vya kumfanya mvunaji kufanya shughuli zake zinazohusiana na masuala yote ya uvunaji.

Wizara ya Maliasili na utalii inaendelea kufanyia kazi kero zote zilizojitokeza wakati wa ziara hiyo Waziri na taarifa itaendelea kutolewa kuhusu utekelezaji wake.

George Matiko

MSEMAJI

WIZARA YA MALIASILI NA UTALII

Tarehe 21 Februari, 2013

Hong Kong (CNN) -- A truck carrying fireworks on an expressway bridge in central China exploded Friday, causing part of the bridge to collapse and sending dozens of vehicles plunging off the edge, authorities said.

The exact number of casualties wasn't immediately clear. Highway police in Henan province, where the explosion happened, said on their official microblog account that at least 11 people had been killed.

But that post was later deleted and replaced with one that gave the lower total being reported by Xinhua, the official state news agency. By late Friday afternoon, Xinhua was citing local authorities as saying that eight people had been killed.

The state-run China National Radio had earlier reported on its website that as many as 26 people had died in the disaster. It didn't say where it got the information from.

Authorities have closed the expressway while search and rescue efforts are under way, Xinhua reported, and 13 injured people have been retrieved from the wreckage so far.

At least 25 vehicles are believed to have fallen off the bridge to the ground about 30 meters (100 feet) below, Xinhua said.

State broadcaster CCTV carried footage of a yawning gap in one part of the bridge, with mounds of debris, including rubble and parts of vehicles, spread out below

Rescue workers in bright orange overalls clambered over upturned trucks, looking for survivors.

Xinhua said an 80-meter (260-foot) stretch of the bridge had collapsed after the explosion, which occurred at 8:52 a.m. local time in Mianchi County.

China's fireworks tradition

Fireworks are an enduring element of celebrations of the Lunar New Year in China, one of the country's most important holidays that takes place this month. But they have been at the root of accidents in the past.

In 2009, fireworks set off a huge fire that gutted a brand-new hotel in central Beijing, briefly prompting calls for the return of a ban put in place at the height of Chairman Mao Zedong's rule in the 1970s.

According to local folklore, fireworks drive away monsters and evil spirits. But under Mao they were prohibited, ostensibly on the basis that they were "bourgeois" and a "waste of money."

Beijing authorities on Friday urged residents to set off fewer fireworks during this year's Lunar New Year celebrations to avoid exacerbating the thick pollution that has cloaked the capital for much of the past month, Xinhua reported.

Pentagon laying off 46,000 employees

By Barbara Starr, CNN

January 25, 2013 -- Updated 2242 GMT (0642 HKT)

Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon has begun laying off 46,000 contract and temporary civilian employees in an effort to cut back on military spending, the No. 2 Pentagon official said on Friday.

Full time civilian employees, which number in the hundreds of thousands, also will be furloughed for one day a week for 22 weeks, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in an interview with wire service reporters.

His comments were confirmed by a Pentagon spokesman.

The moves are part of a Defense Department effort to reduce spending given the potential for billions in mandatory cuts beginning as early as this spring should Congress fail to reach a deal on deficit reduction.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered military services to begin implementing cost cutting measures to mitigate the risk of the cuts to the military budget should no congressional deal emerge.

Panetta said earlier this month that he had asked services to begin "prudent" measures, which included curtailing maintenance for non-critical activities and delaying hiring.

The measures must be "reversible" and minimize harmful effects on military readiness, Panetta said.

(CNN) -- A California judge has forced the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to release some 12,000 pages of church documents revealing how it handled allegations of priest sexual abuse.

There were many -- 192 priests and bishops were named in litigation, the archdiocese said.

"The cases span decades," Archbishop Jose H. Gomez said in a statement Thursday. Some go back to the 1930s.

"But that does not make them less serious. I find these files to be brutal and painful reading," he said.

Gomez also chastised his predecessor, now retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, for shortcomings after victims came forward during his tenure.

"Effective immediately, I have informed Cardinal Mahony that he will no longer have any administrative or public duties," Gomez said in a statement.

It's a mere slap on the wrist long after the fact, said David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abuse by Priests.

"A meaningless gesture. He should have been demoted or disciplined by the church hierarchy, in Rome and in the US," he said.

But Mahony was not as much as denounced when he was in power, Clohessy said.

Mahony "expressed his sorrow" over the alleged abuse, which victims reported during his tenure as archbishop from 1984 - 2011, the archdiocese said Friday.

But Clohessy feels he and other church officials knew too much and did too little, and that there have not been enough consequences to deter future abuse or cover-ups.

"If you successfully conceal your wrongdoing, you can keep your job," he said.

The archdiocese already published the names of accused clergy in a 2004 report, but the release of Thursday's documents will allow the public to trace how the church handled the allegations. It may bring to light some cases where accusations were kept under wraps and the accused were kept out of the sight of the law or accusers.

The documents had served as evidence in 508 civil cases by sex abuse victims that were settled in one stroke in 2007.

Victims received a total of $660 million in the landmark judgment.

Most of the documents were inner-church correspondences about accused clergy. The archdiocese fought to purge the names of the accused from the papers until Thursday, when Judge Emilie Elias ruled that they be made public by February 22.

The church published them shortly after the ruling. There are 124 personnel files in total, 82 which reveal sex abuse allegations against minors.

The release "concludes a sad and shameful chapter in the history of our Local Church," the archdiocese said.

It warned that although the names of the abused have been deleted, some may recognize their cases.

"We understand this experience may be a difficult one," it said.

SIKU YA KUZALIWA KWA AIDAN ROBERT KONGERE