Minister faults MCS over inefficiency, calls for audit

WATER authorities and private companies in the country owe the Maji Central Stores (MCS) a staggering 526bn/-, resulting into the latter’s failure to effectively carry out its duties.

This was revealed on Tuesday by the Water and Irrigation Minister, Eng Isack Kamwelwe, during his two-day tour to inspect water projects managed by the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA). He gave the defaulters up to January 5, next year, to clear their outstanding debts.

The MCS is a unit under the Ministry of Water and Irrigation responsible for the provision of water related materials and equipment, and maintenance for urban and rural water supply projects. He noted that though the government was injecting billions of taxpayers’ money to enable the Stores efficiently fulfills its duties, its operation remained not up to scratch.

Eng Kamwelwe directed the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, to immediately conduct staff audit due to the fact that a number of workers were incompetent. After the audit, the Minister further instructed the PS to hire new workers with outstanding qualifications in engineering and procurement, among others.

He said the stores must be reformed in order to go with the government plans. The Minister said that the stores need technicians, engineers and chemists who could advise on better ways of storing the equipment which are currently being poorly handled.


In ensuring that the equipment and materials stored at the warehouse are utilised, the Minister directed the stores management to halt procurement of other equipment until further notice. The Minister further noted that MCS’s operation is unsatisfactory and does not match with the current need, instructing the PS to work on such deficiencies.