Zanzibar allocates funds for district disability officers’ transport

ZANZIBAR: THE Zanzibar government has allocated funds in the current financial year’s budget to provide transport facilities for the remaining District Disability Officers; a move aimed at improving services for people with disabilities across Unguja and Pemba.

Minister of State in the Office of the Second Vice-President, Policy, Coordination and House of Representatives, Mr Hamza Hassan Juma, announced the plan while responding to a question from Chake Chake Representative Abdulwahab Said Abubakar during a House of Representatives session in Chukwani, Unguja.

In his question, the legislator sought to know about the government’s plans to provide transport for district disability officers to enable them to effectively carry out their responsibilities at the community level.

Mr Hamza said the government recognised the councils’ important role in monitoring the welfare of people with disabilities and addressing challenges they face in their communities.

“Under the councils’ structure, the secretaries are District Disability Officers, making it important to provide them with the necessary resources to effectively carry out their duties,” he said.

The minister said the government has already provided seven District Disability Officers with motorcycles to strengthen their work, with three allocated to Unguja and four to Pemba.

“To facilitate their work, the government has provided seven secretaries with two-wheeled means of transport to enable them to monitor the councils’ activities,” Mr Hamza said.

He said the motorcycles were distributed to officers serving in Micheweni, Wete, Mkoani, North A, Central and South districts, enabling them to reach communities more quickly and assess people’s needs.

Mr Hamza said additional transport facilities would be procured as funds become available, with the current budget making provision for officers who have not yet received transport.

“Funds have been allocated in the current financial year’s budget to purchase transport facilities for the remaining officers,” he said.

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Responding to a supplementary question from Paje Representative Jaku Hashim Ayoub on how the government would ensure all officers benefited from the programme, the minister said improving officers’ mobility would strengthen services for people with disabilities.

“The measure will improve service delivery to people with disabilities, who require close and regular follow-up,” he said.

Mr Hamza said his visits to various communities had given him a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by officers responsible for disability services.

“I have gained a deeper understanding of the challenge after visiting some areas and observing the working conditions of officers responsible for disability services,” he said.

He also highlighted other measures taken by the government to improve the welfare of people with disabilities, including removing certain levies and import duties on imported assistive devices.

“The measure is intended to reduce the cost of acquiring essential equipment and enable people with disabilities to participate more fully in social and economic activities,” Mr Hamza said.