The Tanzanian National Assembly has unanimously approved the 2006-2007 budget presented by the country's finance minister, according to reports on Saturday.

The unanimous yes vote by all the 307 members of parliament who were present at the budgetary session now underway in Dodoma was the first since Tanzania adopted multiparty politics in 1992.

Twelve MPs were absent from Friday's budgetary session, according to Speaker Samuel Sitta.

"This is a record," said the parliamentarian chief, "It shows democratic maturity among members of the opposition. They are not bound to support the budget and plans by a CCM (ruling party) government, but they have shown that they are ready to support projects and plans which are good to the nation."

In previous budgetary sessions, according to local political pundits, a majority of the opposition MPs either voted no, abstained or simply walked out en masse.

On June 15, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, the three member states of the East African Community, simultaneously unveiled their respective budgets.

Tanzania projected a government spending of 4.85 trillion Tanzanian shillings (3.88 billion U.S. dollars) for the fiscal year 2006-2007 starting on July 1.

It was the sixth time for the three EAC members to unveil their budget at the same time.

Of the total projected expenditure, Tanzania expects to get almost 46 percent from external concessional loans, grants and debt reliefs while the remainder comes from domestic sources.

Agriculture, infrastructure and defense were sorted out as priority areas for government spendings.

Agriculture, together with mining and tourism, is Tanzania's main driver of economy for now.

Source: Xinhua