TANZANIA 3. Ministry of Water and Irrigation Category 1 - WEBSITE www.maji.go.tz The current website contains resourceful information. It is updated and provides information in both Swahili and English. n = 20 1. Does this website contain up to date information? Yes No Partial Additional Information • The website contains current information. E.g. The 2013/2014 budget speech for Ministry of Water. • The webpage defines powers from top to bottom, according to the position; data of organization structure, functions and responsibilities. 2. Does the website contain: a) A description of its powers as well as data on the organizational structure, the functions, and the responsibilities of the administration? • b) A list of laws, acts etc. issued within the scope of its powers? • c) Reports, policies, programs? d) Budget and expenditure? No laws, Acts or regulations shown on the website. • Policies, programs and reports are available, however the reports have not been updated since 2010. The website contains budget and expenditure by showing a summary of the annual and forward budget revenue as well as current and development expenditure. e) Information about procurement procedures, signed contracts? • f) Vacancies and employment procedures? • No information about procurement, only activities of the procurement Department. • g) The name, the address, the telephone number and the working hours of the respective institution? The website contains full addresses but does not state the institution’s working hours . h) The contact details of public officials? • The website contains all contact details of public officials, including phone and fax number, postal and email address. i) A mechanism to request and receive a response to electronic messages and requests for information? • “Ask the Ministry” is a tool provided for on the website, which can be used to submit a question and receive a response via email. Total Score: 12/20 Category 2- Request for Information The following questions were sent to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation: 1. Availability of water in rural areas: People still travel long distances to fetch water for domestic and animal use. What is the government doing to solve this problem? 2. Lower and Upper Ruvu basins still can’t produce enough water for domestic and industrial use in Dar es Salaam. What is the ministry’s strategy to make sure water woes become history in the city? 3. There are water authorities in the cities and towns, but they seem to be one. In one way or another there is no competition and as a result they offer poor services most times. Is there any plan to register more providers (independent) to improve services and water availability? 4. It is evident that most big water users are industries and government agencies and they seem to be biggest debtors of these water authorities. This renders many of these authorities financially incapable and thus offers poor services to smaller clients. What is the government doing to solve this problem? 5. Water is a human right, what are the strategies in place to make sure every citizen enjoys this right? 86