What will shape C-CEOs Forum 2026 conversation

DAR ES SALAAM: WHEN Tanzania embarked on the implementation of Dira 2050 on July 1, this year, it entered a new phase in its long-term development journey.

The Vision sets an ambitious direction for a competitive, inclusive and resilient economy, placing greater emphasis on productivity, innovation, investment, human capital and the capacity of institutions to deliver measurable results.

For Tanzania’s StateOwned Enterprises (SOEs), this new development horizon raises an important question: what must change in the way these institutions are led, governed and managed if they are to play their full part in delivering Dira 2050?

It is this question that will sit at the centre of the C-CEOs Forum 2026, which will bring together about 700 participants including Board Chairpersons, Chief Executive Officers, government leaders, investors, financial institutions, development partners, academia and other stakeholders in Arusha from September 28 to 30.

While the Forum, which is organised by the Office of the Treasury Registrar (OTR), provides an opportunity for leaders of public enterprises to exchange experiences and perspectives, its agenda goes beyond institutional dialogue.

It seeks to examine some of the fundamental issues that will determine whether public enterprises can become stronger contributors to investment, productivity, innovation, government revenue and broader national development.

Treasury Registrar Nehemiah Mchechu says the changing development environment requires public enterprises to look beyond conventional measures of institutional performance.

“The issue is not simply whether a public enterprise exists or whether it is able to continue operating. We have to ask what value it is creating, how productive its assets are, how effectively it is using capital and how much it is contributing to the wider economy,” Mchechu says.

The scale of resources invested through public enterprises makes this question particularly significant.

According to OTR, the value of public investment increased from 67.95tri/- in 2020/21 to 92.28tri/- in 2024/25.

Beyond the growth in the value of these investments, their ability to generate financial returns for the government has become an increasingly important measure of performance.

In the financial year 2025/26, the government received 1.327tri/- in dividends and other contributions from public entities, representing a 30 per cent increase from the preceding year.

Mr Mchechu says these figures demonstrate both the economic weight of public enterprises and the importance of ensuring that the assets and investments entrusted to them generate sustainable value.

“Public enterprises have to create value in a sustainable way. That means improving productivity, strengthening governance, investing wisely, adopting technology, developing people and building businesses that can compete and grow,” he says.

Adding: “Stronger government revenue should be a consequence of stronger and more productive enterprises.” This perspective provides the broader context for the issues that will shape the conversation at C-CEOs Forum 2026.

Director of Performance Management of Commercial Entities at OTR Ms Lightness Mauki says the Forum’s themes are interconnected and should be understood as part of a wider performance agenda for public enterprises.

“High performance has to be looked at comprehensively. It involves leadership and governance, financial sustainability, productivity, innovation, human capital and the ability of an enterprise to respond to changes in its operating environment,” Ms Mauki says.

One of the first areas of discussion will, therefore, be high-performance leadership, governance and accountability. The Forum will examine the effectiveness of boards and executive leadership, performance management, institutional integrity and the role of governance in creating sustainable value.

The discussion will then turn to investment, productivity and national competitiveness.

Tanzania has made significant public investments in enterprises operating across different sectors of the economy, creating a substantial portfolio of assets with the potential to support economic transformation.

The question is how those investments can generate greater productivity, industrialisation, value addition, infrastructure development and competitiveness at national and regional levels.

Innovation, digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence will provide another important area of discussion.

Technology is rapidly changing how businesses operate, how customers access services and how organisations make decisions.

Public enterprises will need to examine how digital transformation, AI, datadriven decision-making and cybersecurity can be used to improve productivity and strengthen institutional resilience.

The financing of sustainable growth and public investment will also be considered, including innovative financing models, capital mobilisation, financial sustainability, fiscal resilience, dividend optimisation and public investment management.

The Forum will further examine strategic partnerships with the private sector, investors and development partners, as well as climate resilience, ESG considerations, green investments and sustainable finance.

Human capital and organisational transformation will form another part of this conversation, with attention to leadership development, succession planning, talent management, future workforce skills, organisational culture and employee productivity.

Finally, the Forum will examine how the contribution of SOEs to Dira 2050 can be measured, including through socio-economic impact, public value creation, service excellence, institutional resilience and long-term sustainability.

The breadth of these themes reflects the fact that performance cannot be reduced to one indicator. Financial results matter, but so do productivity, investment, innovation, service delivery, human capital and the ability of institutions to remain resilient in a changing environment.

For Director of Planning, Research and Development at OTR, Dr Emanuel Luvanda, this broader agenda is closely linked to the implementation of Dira 2050 and the need to strengthen collaboration between public institutions and the private sector.

“OTR is committed to achieving the goals it has set for itself in driving transformation across public institutions and it will do so in collaboration with the private sector,” Dr Luvanda says.

He adds: “To achieve the ambitions of Dira 2050, we must look at how best to strengthen collaboration with the private sector.”

The emphasis on partnerships reflects the changing nature of economic development, in which public institutions, private investors, financial institutions and development partners can bring different forms of capital, expertise, technology and market access to development projects.

For non-commercial public enterprises, the performance question takes on a somewhat different dimension.

Director of Performance Management for Non-Commercial Public Enterprises at OTR, Mr David Shambwe, says institutions whose principal responsibilities include public services and strategic national mandates must also be assessed according to the value they create for citizens and the economy.

This means that performance management cannot rely exclusively on commercial returns.

The effectiveness, efficiency, quality and accessibility of services, together with the fulfilment of strategic mandates, are important dimensions of public enterprise performance.

Investment provides another important dimension of the Forum’s agenda.

Director of Investment Fund Management at OTR, Ms Linah Igogo, says the discussion on public investment is ultimately about ensuring that government investments are managed strategically and generate sustainable value.

With public investment reaching 92.28tri/- in 2024/25, decisions on how capital and assets are managed have implications that extend beyond individual institutions.

Strategic investment decisions can influence productivity, infrastructure, industrial development, employment and the country’s wider competitiveness.

The financial dimension of performance will also be critical.

Mr Hassan Mohamed, Director of Finance and Accounting at OTR, says financial sustainability is essential if public enterprises are to maintain their operations, meet their obligations, invest in growth and make meaningful contributions to national development.

This brings into focus the relationship between financial discipline, investment capacity and Government revenue.

In 2025/26, public entities contributed 1.327tri/- to the Government Consolidated Fund through dividends and other contributions.

The longer-term objective, however, is to ensure that enterprises remain sufficiently strong to invest, grow and generate sustainable value.

The future of public enterprises will also depend heavily on the quality of their people.

Director of Administration and Human Resources Management at OTR, Mr Chacha Marigiri, points to human capital as an essential component of institutional transformation.

The Forum’s focus on future skills, leadership development, succession planning, talent management and organisational culture reflects the reality that technological and economic changes require institutions to continuously develop their workforce.

An enterprise may have capital and technology, but its ability to use both effectively ultimately depends on the people leading, managing and operating it.

For non-commercial entities, the connection between institutional performance and citizens’ experience is particularly direct.

Assistant Director for Non-Commercial Entities at OTR, Mr Joseph Mwaisemba, highlights the importance of ensuring that public institutions translate their mandates into effective services and tangible outcomes.

The question of service quality is therefore part of the wider performance conversation.

As Mr Mwaisemba puts it, “For citizens to receive quality services, public institutions must remain alert and never become complacent.”

The statement captures the need for sustained attention to service delivery.

Quality public services require institutions that remain focused on their mandates, monitor performance and continuously identify ways of improving the experience and outcomes of citizens.

The final dimension is communication and stakeholder engagement.

Head of the Public Relations and Communication Unit at OTR, Mr Sabato Kosuri, says the Forum also provides an opportunity for public enterprises to strengthen communication with stakeholders and improve understanding of their roles, performance and contribution to national development.

For institutions managing significant public assets and delivering strategic services, communication is part of accountability.

Citizens, investors, development partners, the media and other stakeholders need to understand not only what public enterprises do, but also the results they are achieving and the value they create.