Tanzania well positioned as Vision 2050 takes off
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has officially begun implementing the National Development Vision 2050 today, July 1, 2026, marking the start of a new 25-year development agenda following the completion of the country’s previous Development Vision 2025.
Commenting on the launch of the new vision, the Executive Director of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Centre, David Kafulila, said Tanzania is entering this new phase with a strong economic foundation built during the implementation of the previous national development vision.
In a post published on the social media platform X, Kafulila noted that Tanzania’s economy has grown from US$13 billion in 2000/01 to US$94 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. Over the same period, the country’s cumulative gross domestic product reached approximately US$1.15 trillion.
He said Vision 2050 aims to transform Tanzania into a US$1 trillion economy annually by 2050, a goal that will require stronger private sector participation alongside far-reaching reforms in public institutions.
According to Kafulila, one of the key priorities for achieving the vision is improving the efficiency of state-owned enterprises through reforms, including listing some of them on the stock exchange to attract private capital while enhancing accountability and operational performance.
He said the approach has delivered significant results in China through its Corporatisation of Public Enterprises policy, which has enabled state-owned enterprises to operate with efficiency comparable to that of the private sector.
Kafulila also underscored the need to broaden the country’s tax base, noting that the informal sector remains a major challenge to government revenue collection.
He said Tanzania has collected tax revenues equivalent to an average of 12 percent of GDP over the past 25 years, below the Sub-Saharan African average of 15 percent.
According to Kafulila, had Tanzania reached that regional average, it could have generated an additional US$40 billion in revenue—enough to finance major strategic infrastructure projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza and Kigoma, the Mtwara–Mbamba Bay railway, and the Tanga–Musoma railway.
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He added that the Government aims to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio to 18 percent by 2030, surpassing both the Sub-Saharan African and continental averages, thereby strengthening its capacity to finance development projects and support the successful implementation of Vision 2050.
Kafulila said the commencement of Vision 2050 marks a new chapter in Tanzania’s development journey, expressing confidence that despite the existing challenges, the country remains on the right path to achieving its goal of building a competitive, inclusive and sustainable economy by 2050.
