The Role of Government in the Provision of Social Services

The role of government in the provision of social services

It is the duty of the government to promote the welfare of its people. In Tanzania particularly, the government is trying its level best to improve the provision of social services. There are a number of economic and social sector reforms and policies which the government has implemented. These are like Primary Health Service Development Plan.

1. To make policies which support private and non-governmental institutions in the provision of social services.
2. To construct and maintain the transportation system.
3. To distribute teaching and learning materials to schools.
4. To distribute important facilities to hospitals and other areas where health services are provided.
5. To educate Tanzanians on environmental preservation so that water sources are not polluted.
6. To train the required personnel who will assist in the provision of social services. Examples of such personnel are teachers; water experts; railways; road and electrical engineers; doctors and nurses.
7. To train citizens on the best use of those social services and be responsible. The citizens must realize that social services are for their own use hence they should protect them.

Challenges facing the provision of social services in Tanzania

1. Some of the government and private institutions face financial constraints, which complicate the provision of high quality social services.
2. People living in rural areas have the worst living conditions. As a result, they migrate on urban areas where they cause intensive scramble over the available social services.
3. Delivery of household water continues to be a problem for Mainland Tanzania; water supply is not sufficient in rural and urban areas.
4. Transportation systems in the rural areas are still a problem. People living in remotes areas do not have access to transportation systems. Poor transport makes it difficult for people to go to hospitals or farmers to transport their produce.
5. Bad behavior among individuals of destroying public and private infrastructure. Some destroy the railways and cause accidents. Others steal transformer oil and telephone cables.
6. Services are too expensive and the citizens are unable to pay for the costs of the services rendered. For instance, most of the private schools set high school fees, which are not affordable to a majority of Tanzanians.
7. Corruption has become a big problem in the provision of quality social services.

Solutions of the challenges facing the provision of social services in Tanzania

1. Enabling environment for increased private sector involvement, including incentives and legal recognition to be created.
2. To educate communities on the importance of the private sector participation in the provision of rural and urban water supply and sanitation services.
3. To allocate enough budget in provision of social services such as education, water, health and infrastructure in the country.
4. To give regular education to the public on how to take care of the public social services in their localities. People should be made aware that these services are for their own benefits.
5. To construct better infrastructures; this will improve the living standards of the people.
6. To encourage community – based organizations to fund and run their own social services. They can construct schools, dispensaries, water supply systems and others.
7. To set a conducive environment for people to invest in the provision of social services in the countryside.
8. Physical planning should be seriously carried out to solve the problems of electricity and water supply.
9. The government should impose fines and take drastic measures against people who destroy the environment.