The National Assembly in discharging its functions is assisted by the Parliamentary Services Commission, Standing Committees and the Secretariat of the National Assembly. The main functions of the National Assembly are to put any question to any Minister concerning public affairs in the United Republic which are within his/her responsibility, to debate on the performance of each Ministry during the annual budget session of the National Assembly, to deliberate upon and authorize any long or short-term plan which is intended to be implemented in the United Republic and enact a law /regulation to regulate the implementation of that plan, to enact legislation where implementation requires legislation and to deliberate upon and ratify all treaties and agreements to which the United Republic is party to and the provisions of which require ratification.
In addition to enacting laws that apply to the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly enacts laws that apply only to the Mainland; Zanzibar has its own House of Representatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the Zanzibar House of Representatives has 50 seats, directly elected by universal suffrage to serve five year terms).
Source: Government Portal Content Committee, Last Reviewed on : 2015-10-09 20:48:34