The Tanzanian government has maintained its travel budget at TSh 1.032 trillion, even as it emphasizes the need to cut spending on official travel. The allocation is TSh 54 billion lower than the previous budget, which stood at TSh 1.086 trillion. This was revealed in Parliament on June 11, 2026, during the presentation of the national budget for the 2026/27 fiscal year.
“As part of enhancing discipline in public finance management, the Sixth Phase Government is committed to improve public expenditure management by taking into account the following measures: Control expenditure on foreign and domestic travels, as well as reducing the number of seminars, workshops, and conferences,” reads the budget proposal presented by the Minister of Finance, Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar.
The travel budget has been on a meteoric rise since 2020/21, and the current allocation is about 245% of the budget allocated in that year. The total amount spent on travel between 2020/21 and 2024/25 is about TSh 2.87 trillion, an amount higher than what was spent on the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro.
The travel budget comes as the country is dealing with TSh 114 trillion in loans and a decline in revenue sources following adjustments in donor countries’ policies.
In its fiscal risk statement, the government acknowledged this dilemma, underscoring that Tanzania’s fiscal position remains vulnerable to changes in foreign policies, donor financing priorities, and global geopolitical conditions. It noted that such changes pose risks to budget execution and project implementation, while also increasing borrowing costs and exposing the country to heightened debt sustainability and foreign exchange risks.
“Recent changes include Sweden’s decision to terminate development cooperation with Tanzania upon expiry of the current cooperation framework in August 2026; reductions in funding allocations by the Global Fund and the UK FCDO; suspension of assistance from the United States Government; and the risk of reduced European Union budget support following policy resolutions by the European Parliament,” reads Tanzania’s fiscal risk statement in highlighting some of the recent changes which affect budget execution.
Members of parliament are expecting to discuss the tabled proposals for the next seven days, as they take a one-day break for reading on June 12, 2026.
