The Office of the Treasury Registrar (OTR) in Tanzania has set an ambitious internal target of collecting TZS 2 trillion in non-tax revenue for the 2026/27 financial year. This target surpasses the TZS 1.79 trillion assigned to the office by the government. The Acting Treasury Registrar, Lightness Mauki, announced this goal during a meeting with media editors in Dar es Salaam on September 9, 2026.
The target is part of a broader strategy to increase revenue from public institutions, strengthen their financial independence, and improve returns on government investments. The implementation of the Finance Act 2025 has increased the contribution required from non-commercial public institutions from 15% to 40% of gross revenue. This move aims to enhance the financial self-sufficiency of these institutions.
The OTR has connected its Public Institutions Management System to other government systems, including the Government e-Payment Gateway, to improve the monitoring of collections. For commercial public institutions, the strategy involves annual performance assessments and performance contracts over the next one to two years. This approach is expected to enhance the financial performance of these institutions.
Over the next three to five years, the plan envisages providing TZS 1 trillion in capital to qualifying institutions, with government development funding provided as equity rather than conventional grants. In the longer term, institutions that meet the required criteria could raise capital through the markets, including through initial public offerings (IPOs). The roadmap for potential capital market fundraising extends beyond five years.
The OTR has engaged 13 consulting firms to conduct independent assessments of public institutions under its oversight. The exercise, which began in January 2026, has completed its first phase. The assessments aim to evaluate the financial performance and potential of these institutions. The number of mining projects in which the government holds shares has risen from 10 in 2024/25 to 16.
According to the Director of Non-Commercial Entities, David Shambwe, the value of government investments under the office’s oversight rose from TZS 67.73 trillion in 2020/21 to TZS 92.28 trillion in 2024/25, an increase of 37.7%. The office also reported that reliance on government subsidies among non-commercial institutions declined by an average of 12.8% over the past five years.
The Office of the Treasury Registrar collects non-tax revenue from public institutions and companies in which the government holds shares, including dividends and contributions from institutions’ gross revenue. In 2025/26, the office collected TZS 1.327 trillion, with Twiga Minerals Corporation as the largest dividend payer, at TZS 221.9 billion. Mauki emphasized that increasing non-tax revenue is part of a broader process of building public institutions that can perform well and become more self-reliant.
Key points
- The Office of the Treasury Registrar aims to collect TZS 2 trillion in non-tax revenue by 2026/27.
- The target exceeds the TZS 1.79 trillion assigned to the office by the government.
- The strategy includes providing TZS 1 trillion in capital to qualifying institutions over the next three to five years.
