KATAVI: TANGANYIKA District Council in Katavi Region has completed the construction of six buildings at Katuma Health Centre, in a project worth more than 700m/- financed through carbon trading revenues from the villages of Katuma, Kapanga and Mpembe.
The project is expected to strengthen access to healthcare for residents of Katuma Ward and neighbouring areas, demonstrating how revenue generated through environmental conservation can support essential community services.
Speaking during a visit by the Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment), Engineer Hamad Masauni yesterday, the ward’s Construction Committee Secretary and Executive Officer, Mr Pascal Masobeji, said the project had delivered key buildings required for the provision of healthcare services.
He said Katuma Ward received the funds in two phases. During the first phase, which included allocations from the fourth and sixth rounds, the ward received 168m/- for the construction of an outpatient department (OPD) building.
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“Implementation of the project had strengthened cooperation between Katuma Ward and the villages benefiting from carbon trading,” Mr Masobeji said.
He added that the initiative demonstrated how funds generated through environmental conservation could be invested in projects that directly benefit local communities.
Residents of Katuma Ward expressed gratitude to the government, led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, for promoting environmental conservation and enabling communities to benefit from carbon trading.
The completion of the buildings marks an important step towards improving healthcare provision in the area, with resident’s hopeful that the project will help to reduce the challenges of accessing services far from their homes.
During the visit, Minister Masauni urged residents to continue conserving the environment and to make proper use of the National Carbon Monitoring Centre (NCMC) to register projects and obtain information about carbon trading.
“The government will continue to provide oversight to ensure communities benefit from these projects. Tanganyika District has become a model in carbon trading, paving the way for others to engage in the business,” he said.
He added that the government would continue supervising the distribution of revenue from carbon trading to ensure communities benefit while sustaining environmental protection and conservation.