The new financing will bring justice services closer to the people
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2016 — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA*) credit of US$65 million for the Tanzania Citizen-Centric Judicial Modernization and Justice Service Delivery Project which aims at improving the efficiency and transparency of, and access to, selected citizen-centric justice services.
The new project directly responds to Tanzania’s Development Vision 2025 as well as the Judiciary Strategic Plan 2015–2020. The Government seeks to improve peoples’ lives by enhancing the business and investment environment, increasing transparency and reducing poverty. Tanzania has maintained a remarkable growth rate averaging seven percent over the past decade. However, between 2007 and 2011–12, basic needs poverty only declined from 34.4 percent to 28.2 percent, and extreme poverty declined from 11.7 percent to 9.7 percent. Economic disparities within the population have grown due to fewer employment opportunities, limited access to services, and unsatisfactory service delivery outcomes particularly in rural areas.
The Judiciary Strategic Plan contributes to national priorities by supporting improvements in service delivery and increasing access to justice. Ranked 64th globally in enforcing contracts in Doing Business 2016, Tanzania is ahead of its regional peers, but lags far behind global benchmarks. For example, in Tanzania it takes 515 days to resolve a commercial dispute, while in Singapore it takes only 150 days. Disputes go through 38 procedures and costing 14.3 percent of the total claim in Tanzania.
“There are too many Tanzanians for whom access to justice services is a luxury but it shouldn’t be – it is core to social sustainability and peoples’ well-being,” said Bella Bird, World Bank Country Director for Tanzania, Burundi, Somalia and Malawi. "And with the economy growing as fast as it is, the country’s justice system which is part and parcel of the enabling environment for business and investment needs to support increased demand."
The Bank’s support to the judiciary and justice entities, along with other development partners, will help enhance their institutional capacity to demonstrate transformational results. Citizens, including vulnerable groups (e.g. women), rural poor, informal traders, small businesses, large commercial enterprises and banks, will all benefit from the project. Currently, approximately 47 percent of the population does not live close to a high court. The design and construction of one-stop-justice centers in select locations will help close the huge rural-urban gap in justice service provision, and will reduce travel and transaction costs for users.
To make the judiciary more accessible, a Justice-on-Wheels program (mobile courts and ADR) will empower vulnerable groups (for example, women, youth, and small businesses). The program will provide quick and affordable justice services where they live and work, making a special effort to minimize the risk of violence against women. E-justice services will reduce costs and make services more efficient and transparent. Strengthening inspection and performance systems, along with an e-complaint system for user feedback on law and justice sector operations (for example, via mobile phones), will significantly help the government in its fight against corruption. Adherence to timelines and cutting case backlogs will increase government revenue, as the current estimated value of claims pending in the high courts and tribunals is US$464.4 million, of which 19 percent (about US$89 million) pertain to tax matters.
“Judiciary-led reforms are underway and the project will address factors that are impeding the delivery of effective justice services to citizens,” said Waleed Haider Malik, the World Bank’s Senior Public Sector Specialist and task team leader for the Project.
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change for 2.8 billion people living on less than $2 a day. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent going to Africa.
