PPRA shines at Uhuru Torch climax as special groups win 74.32bn/- tenders

RUKWA: MORE than 33,500 groups representing youth, women, older persons and people with disabilities have won 3,466 government tenders worth 74.32bn/- in just over three years, in a major push by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) to widen access to government business.

The contracts were awarded between July 1, 2023 and October 13, 2026, as the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) steps up efforts to widen participation in public procurement and enable special groups to benefit from government spending.

The achievement was highlighted by 2026 National Uhuru Torch Race’s Leader Mr Wazo Mwang’onda in his report during the climax of the race at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Sumbawanga, Rukwa Region on Wednesday.

Addressing the celebrations, which coincided with Nyerere Day and National Youth Week, Vice-President, Mr Deogratius Ndejembi commended PPRA for strengthening systems that enable more citizens to access government tenders and participate in economic activities.

“I commend PPRA for the significant and exemplary steps it has taken to open up public procurement opportunities to our people. The fact that more than 33,500 groups of citizens have been registered and accessed tender contracts worth over 74.32bn/- is clear evidence that the government is working for all Tanzanians,” Mr Ndejembi said.

The report showed that youth-led groups accounted for the largest number of registered beneficiaries, with 16,582 groups, followed by women-led groups with 15,412, older persons with 789 and people with disabilities with 741.

In terms of contracts awarded, youth-led groups secured 2,066 contracts worth 40.56bn/-, while women-led groups obtained 1,264 contracts valued at 29.76bn/-.

Groups representing older persons secured 93 contracts worth 3.36bn/-, while those comprising people with disabilities received 43 contracts valued at 635.7m/-.

The figures underscore the role of public procurement in creating business opportunities and expanding economic participation among groups that might otherwise struggle to compete for government tenders.

Earlier, Minister of State in the President’s Office responsible for Youth Development, Dr Joel Nanauka, also commended PPRA for helping young people access economic opportunities through public tenders and government contracts.

“Young people are the backbone of this nation’s workforce. Public procurement reports overseen by PPRA clearly show how doors of opportunity have been opened,” Dr Nanauka said.

He described the achievement as a significant milestone insisting that “this is a major achievement that deserves sincere commendation,”

PPRA continues to encourage youth, women, older persons and people with disabilities across the country to register in official public procurement systems and pursue tenders advertised by procuring entities.

The authority also promotes transparency, accountability and wider public participation in procurement processes, in accordance with applicable laws and procedures. END