Govt to examine promoted civil servants
DAR ES SALAAM: THE government is considering introducing a new system where civil servants promoted to senior positions will first undergo examinations before confirmation, in a bid to ensure quality service delivery and strengthen performance in public institutions.
Chief Secretary Ambassador Dr Moses Kusiluka revealed the plan on Monday in Kibaha District when opening a fourday induction programme for heads of public institutions, organised by the Office of the Treasury Registrar (OTR) in collaboration with the Uongozi Institute.
“We are going to introduce examinations for civil servants who are promoted to senior levels. To be confirmed, they must pass these examinations to validate their suitability for higher responsibilities,” said Dr Kusiluka.
He noted that under the current system, officers are automatically confirmed after promotion, even if they lack the skills to effectively represent their institutions in key roles. “We must change this to ensure public services are delivered at the highest standard,” he emphasised.
Dr Kusiluka further challenged public institutions to prioritise efficiency, accountability and financial discipline.
He said institutions must avoid unproductive spending and instead channel resources into national priority areas such as infrastructure, health, education and social services.
“This is not merely administrative; it aligns with Tanzania’s push for fiscal sustainability. With global development financing tightening and donor funds becoming less predictable, we must move our institutions toward financial autonomy,” he added.
The Chief Secretary said that improving internal capacity, human capital, technology and infrastructure is essential for achieving efficiency.
He also called for stronger contributions to the implementation of Tanzania’s Vision 2050, which seeks to transform the country into a high-middle-income, industrialised nation with transparent governance systems and prosperity for all citizens.
He also urged leaders of public institutions to deepen their engagement with Vision 2050, aligning organisational goals with the national vision.
“Vision 2050 sets an ambitious target of becoming an upper-middle-income, industrial economy with a GDP of 1 trillion US dollars and a per capita GDP of 7,000 US dollars. This is not going to be a walk in the park, we must work hard to reach it,” Dr Kusiluka said.
He emphasised that strong institutions are critical for achieving sustainable development. “Without internal capacity, even wellintentioned reforms will fail due to weak implementation,” he said.
The CEO induction programme, which brought together 114 public institution leaders, reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening performance, governance and accountability in the public sector, he added.
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Meanwhile, Treasury Registrar, Mr Nehemiah Mchechu, announced that the OTR has set a target of collecting 2tri/- in non-tax revenue for the 2025/26 financial year, an increase from the previous year’s 1.6tri/- target.
“To achieve our target of 2tri/-, we must double our efforts compared to the previous financial year,” Mr Mchechu said. He noted that in 2024/25, the OTR collected 1.028tri/- in non-tax revenue.
