The Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Shamsa Mwangunga, said it had come to her knowledge that senior officials overspent on TANAPA's budget at the expense of the junior staff members.

The minister was responding to complaints from the National Parks staff on low payments in allowances and medical services as well as lack of electricity in their quarters.

Mwangunga said it had come to her knowledge that senior officials overspent on TANAPA's budget at the expense of the junior staff members.

She said for example where it was possible to send only two representatives abroad, instead of sending five TANAPA officials plus five board members thereby straining the budget.

It was high time TANAPA started setting priorities right, said the Minister.

The minister was stunned by the National Parks ferrying its workers in lorries, which are cumbersome to board especially with regard to female employees.

She was also amazed by the failure of Tarangire National Park leadership to connect electric power to staff quarters despite the board’s resolution on the project several years ago.

In recent months there have been frictions between the staff and management of TANAPA over poor pay and services.

The workers were jubilant when the Board Chairman Modestus Lilungulu and the Director of TANAPA Gerald Bigurube promised to carry out the Minister’s orders and improve the payment and staff services.