Students Hail Decision to Raise Their Allowances

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Mkinga Mkinga

20 July 2011

Dar es Salaam — The Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions Students Organization (TAHLISO) has hailed the government decision to increase subsistence allowance from Sh5,000 to Sh7,500 a day, which is a 50 per cent rise.

The increase, which totals Sh78 billion, is half of what the students had demanded when calling for the doubling of the daily allowance to Sh10, 000. Complaints over the allowance have for years been one of the reasons for irregular strikes at universities and colleges, leading to suspension of several students.

In an interview with The Citizen yesterday, the Tahliso chairman, Mr Mathias Kipara, said the government had taken students’ concerns seriously, but urged it to control inflation. He said at least students now can afford to live as other Tanzanians.

“It’s the first time the government has increased the subsistence allowance by 50 per cent as in past years it was increasing it by 15 to 25 per cent. This should be hailed by the students,” Mr Kipara said.

He said Tahliso hoped that the government would have increased the allowance at the expected rate of Sh10,000, but the same government has other crucial sectors to attend to, such as water, power, health and road infrastructure.

Mr Kipara urged managements of universities and colleges not to raise tuition fees after the government had increased subsistence allowance, saying they would be entering into unnecessary conflicts with students if they do so.

The increase in the allowance was announced on Tuesday by the minister for Education and Vocational Training, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa, when tabling his ministry’s budget estimates in parliament.

“We have decided to have meal allowances increased from the current 5,000/- to 7,500/- per day. We have considered the students’ complaints and hope this increase will be helpful to them,” Dr Kawambwa said when tabling his 2011/2012 Budget estimates.

However, the minister announced that the Higher Education Students Loans Board (HESLB) would this financial year grant loans to a total of 91,568 students. Among them will be freshers, undergraduates continuing with studies as well as students of postgraduate degree programmes.

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