What You Need to Know
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has urged for comprehensive reforms to Tanzania’s tax system, advocating for a phased approach to ensure effective implementation. During a meeting at State House, she highlighted the need for collaboration among government officials, business leaders, and civil society to modernize the tax payment process and support the nation’s development vision.
Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has called on the government and private sector stakeholders to ensure that reforms to the tax system are implemented in three phases: short-term, medium-term, and long-term, in order to achieve rapid and sustainable results.
Speaking at State House in Dar es Salaam on March 18, 2026, while receiving the report of the Presidential Commission on Tax Reforms, President Samia emphasized the need for thorough analysis and immediate implementation in areas that do not require prolonged discussion, to accelerate reforms aimed at building a robust tax system in the country.
She stressed that her goal is to lay a strong foundation during her tenure to ensure the nation’s development vision is effectively realized in the future. President Samia urged government officials, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs to collaborate in the reform process, noting that reforms are often accompanied by initial challenges and disruptions.
“For a long time, we have been using an old tax system for approximately 35 years, so making changes is like stretching a hand that has been tightly clenched; there will inevitably be some discomfort,” she said.
President Samia also encouraged all stakeholders to continue relying on dialogue, patience, communication, and mutual understanding to facilitate these reforms, while emphasizing the importance of building common understanding during the transition period.
She explained that the aim of the reforms is to establish a simple and modern tax payment system, where taxpayers can easily know and pay their taxes digitally without hassle. She added that the success of these reforms will require close cooperation between the Government, the private sector, and civil society institutions to rebuild a tax system aligned with the needs of the current economy.
Tanzania’s tax system has remained largely unchanged for over three decades, leading to inefficiencies and challenges in revenue collection. The government’s recent push for tax reforms aims to address these issues by modernizing the system, making it more user-friendly, and aligning it with contemporary economic needs. President Samia’s administration seeks to create a robust framework that supports sustainable development and encourages compliance among taxpayers. The reforms are expected to be implemented in phases to ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruptions for stakeholders.
