By: Special Reporter
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has been challenged to improve the laws and regulations on Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in the country in order to attract potential investment in the vital economic sector.
It has been unveiled that, existence of unfriendly laws, policies and regulations have prompted most investors to remove their investment footholds from the areas, the situation which calls for timely intervention.
Impeccable statistics depicts that there are at least 38 wildlife management areas (WMAs) across the country, out of which, only 16 WMA's have investors, whereby the trend proves that most of the investors are on the way to halt their investments due to failure by the WMA's to fulfill their statutory responsibilities.
Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) are areas of communal land set aside exclusively as habitat for wildlife by member villages.
Reacting concerning the negative development, some of the WMA's leaders, investors, citizens and the conservationists in Ikona WMA in Mara region, Burunge WMA (Manyara), Enduimet ( Arusha) and the Mbomipa WMA in Iringa region, observed that without improvements in relevant laws and regulations, the WMA's will automatically fail to operate and eventually die.
The chairman of the Association of Tourism Operators in the country (TATO), who owns several hotels and tourist camps in WMA areas, Mr. Wilbard Chambulo said the government should improve the laws and regulations of WMA so that they can perform and encourage the investors to continue investing into the areas.
"The set rulling regulations towards investing into the WMA's in the country have some shortfalls that dilute the investor's investing morale. For instances, most potential investors seeks for a long-term investing contracts while assured for their security, but there're some unscrupulous leaders with the WMA's who are handling their positions unprofessional and greedily hence discouraging the investors," he explained.
Alluding to the specific nuisance that irks the investors, he unveiled that the WMA's leaders are often preferring to enter into short- term contracts with the investors, whereby if it happens others investors are cropping up seeking to invest in the same area, they have always been keen to revoke the existing contract in favour of the new investors who injects them with some incentives.
Due to the existing challenges, he communicated that most of the giant investors are shunning way from investing into the areas, among others, due to poor security as well as encroachment of livestock and illegal poaching.
Chambulo added that most of the WMA are managed by unqualified leaders who always prioritizing their personal interest rather than working to preserve and improve the key areas.
An officer from Zara Tours Company, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the frequent challenges in WMA's operating rules was the other problem which frustrating the investors.
The officer, who have invested in the Ikona WMA area, added that: "WMA has many challenges, but the biggest one is on the side of management of investment and conservation issues, but also the issue of not having enough income.
A conservation researcher, Hillary Mrosso observed that if there are no improvements in the laws and regulations, many WMA's in the country will stop operating.
Mrosso who has done research in Mbomipa WMA located in Iringa region, said WMA's management in the country have a series of problems, including access to needed funds and in attracting investors.
On his side, the secretary of the WMA's headquarters, Mr. Jeremiah Bishoni expressed that the other setback haunting the WMA's in the country is failure by some investors to issue payment on framed time.
"The WMA's are also failing to operate fruitful because the funds collected are all sent to the treasury and then returned, which is a long process, for example, we at the WMA headquarters have not received the funds for the income of 2023 until now, we have only received four months of last year's funds" he said.
He added that it was prudent for the government to return the WMA's funds to the director of wildlife as it was the case before 2018 so that they get the money on time.
"We have so far talked a lot over the need to have the fund returned to the WMA's on proper time from the state coffer in order to allow timely implementation of various projects," he expressed.
And the secretary of Burunge WMA, Mr. Benson Mwaise said he believes the government will improve the laws and regulations of WMA to reduce conflicts and enabling them to operate more professionally.
In his observations, the secretary of Ikona WMA, Mr. Yusuph Manyanda admitted the presence of the challenges in the operation of the WMA, saying they have already sent complaints to the Prime Minister's Office, and to the speaker of the Parliament as well as other leaders, but with no good avail.
"For example, this year, we have not received any income from January until now, and do not have subsidies from the government. Failure to get money on proper time have always been thwarting our efforts to implement conservation activities, but also, to cater for other key issues" he stated.
He informed that the area was receiving good number of visitors who are paying money, but after being dispatched to the treasury office as directed by the relevant law, there have been unnecessary delay in the return of their share, the poor manner which weakens their performance.
"We had a meeting in Dodoma with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, to discuss these challenges, we went to the Parliament and have an audience with the Speaker, but nothing good have been done," he informed.
Jeremiah Isaya, who is a resident of Tingatinga village, one of the villages that make up Enduimet WMA, said he does not see any reason for the existence of WMA because the projects are currently not having any positive results.
"There is a problem in the WMA, we see tourists coming but the leaders say there is no money, I don't know if there is a fund, now it is better that we return some of our areas to be used for breeding because there is no profit like before" he says
However, the Director of the Wildlife Department, Dr. Fortunata Msoffe, who was recently appointed to the position, when asked to discuss over the challenges, said the Head of the WMA desk in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism was the one responsible.
"I am still in the process of handing over, I believe the ministry is working on the challenges facing the WMA, but there is an officer who can explain more at the moment" Dr. Msoffe responded.
However, when contacted, the Head of the WMA desk in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Ms. Rose Joseph said she cannot discuss the issue without obtaining permission.
"Please contact the Secretary General of the Ministry, he can give you information or give me instructions and permission to speak" he said
However, speaking to the reporters of this news recently, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Hassan Abbas said that the Ministry has already started the process of improving the rules and regulations of the WMA.
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