The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has emphasized the importance of tax payment in the country as a key strategy for enabling financial self-reliance, rather than depending on external sources that often come with conditions.
President Samia made this appeal on June 16, 2025, while inaugurating the new Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) office in Simiyu Region. She urged TRA to utilize the improved infrastructure and the increased human resources to better meet the set tax collection targets.
“To TRA staff, a person who is proud and confident is one who owns what they have,” said President Samia. “When you own something, you decide how to use it as you wish.”
President Samia noted that many donors are currently facing economic challenges, and the conditions attached to external funding sources have become increasingly difficult. She, therefore, emphasized that Tanzania must collect sufficient domestic revenue, as external funding now comes with tightening restrictions.
“These days, you’re provoked with things like: ‘Oh! Tanzanians shouldn’t come here. We asked for their passports, and they didn’t respond. We asked for something else, and they didn’t give it to us.’ Oh! You want a list of my people’s passports — for what?” she said.
“And at such times, don’t you have to ask yourself three times? So, if you’re telling me that unless I send that, I won’t get the money, fine, don’t give me the money. I’ll raise it from within.”
READ MORE: Infographic: Tax Collection Trend in Tanzania Since the Establishment of TRA (Tsh)
President Samia’s remarks come just days after the United States placed Tanzania on a list of 36 countries whose citizens are at risk of facing entry restrictions to the U.S.
Recently, Tanzania has seen a rise in tax revenues, enabling the country to meet its revenue targets. The tax-to-GDP ratio reached 13.1 percent in the 2024/25 fiscal year, up from 11.5 percent in 2020/21.
With the rising trend in the tax-to-GDP ratio, Tanzania is approaching the 15 percent threshold that is generally recommended for developing countries — a tipping point that can support sustained economic growth and development.
President Samia called on the TRA to adopt friendly methods in collecting taxes and urged business people to pay taxes patriotically, to enhance government revenues needed to implement various development projects.
“To business people, we must pay taxes,” President Samia emphasized. “No country runs without taxes, taxes are what run a country.”
READ MORE: Tanzania’s Public Institutions Deliver Record TSh 1 Trillion Dividend to Government
She reflected on the abundant natural resources the country possesses, which can be used for self-reliance, instead of waiting for outsiders to come and extract them after which Tanzanians only benefit marginally while the major share goes abroad, where the country ends up borrowing.
“Let’s ask ourselves, when that money originated here, is there really a need for us to operate this way?” President Samia concluded.
