Joseph Isangura
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Hon. Dr. Doto Biteko, has called on Environmental Departments and Units within government ministries and institutions to continue diligently fulfilling their fundamental duties aimed at mitigating environmental impacts in the country.
Dr. Biteko made this statement during the inauguration of the World Environment Day Exhibition Stalls for 2024, held in Dodoma.
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In his speech, Biteko emphasized the importance of Environmental Units within each ministry and government institution.
He noted that the government has established these units to ensure that all development activities are conducted with consideration of their environmental impacts.
“I want to stress this important matter: every ministry has an Environmental Unit. It is unfortunate that sometimes these units are perceived as having no work to do, they are not allocated budgets, and thus no activities are carried out.
This task has been left solely to the Office of the Vice President, Union and Environment,” said Dr. Biteko.
Biteko added that there is a mistaken belief that environmental issues should be handled exclusively by the Minister of Environment, while in reality, every ministry has an Environmental Unit responsible for ensuring environmental conservation.
“It has reached a point where, if you want to know about the environment, you only see the Minister of Environment, while every ministry has an Environmental Unit whose duty is to ensure that the environment is protected.
Even here at the exhibition stalls’ inauguration, some ministries and institutions’ units are not present. They think they have more important tasks than the environment,” he lamented.
The Deputy Prime Minister explained that the environment encompasses everything, citing examples such as the presence of electricity poles, road construction projects, and hospitals, noting that all these activities have a direct relationship with the environment. He stated that environmental issues should be addressed by all government leaders at all levels, including regional and district commissioners.
Dr. Biteko also emphasized that environmental conservation is not just about planting trees but also about protecting and preserving the environment. He noted that protecting the environment is an important and costly endeavor.
“Environmental conservation is not just about planting trees, but protecting and preserving is a crucial and more expensive task,” he stated.
Furthermore, Biteko called on officials from ministries and institutions whose Environmental Units did not participate in the Environment Week Exhibitions to ensure they fully perform their duties.
“I request that these units be identified so that they can be instructed on how to fulfill their responsibilities,” he said.
The inauguration of the World Environment Day Exhibition Stalls for 2024 in Dodoma highlights the Tanzanian government’s commitment to thoroughly addressing environmental issues.
The government aims to ensure that all development is carried out with consideration of its environmental impacts to protect the country’s resources and ensure a better quality of life for future generations.
Dr. Biteko has called on all government officials to work together in conserving and protecting the environment to build a nation with a sustainable and healthy environment.
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