CEOs’ key takeaways from the 2025 Forum

STATE-OWNED Enterprises (SOEs) are at a crossroads. With 86.3tri/- invested in public entities and government minority-owned companies, the CEOs Forum 2025, held from August 23 to 26 at the Arusha International Conference Centre, served as a wake-up call for leaders of public institutions: Adapt or risk irrelevance.

The four-day event, organised by the Office of the Treasury Registrar (OTR) and attended by over 650 participants, was opened by Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango and closed by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Doto Biteko.

It offered more than discussions—it became a space for introspection, with the country’s top SOE executives reflecting on hard truths, from fiscal autonomy and operational efficiency to regulatory modernisation and competitiveness, drawing lessons that could define the future of Tanzania’s public sector.

From reliance to revenue: The subsidy question A theme echoed across speeches and panel discussions was the urgency of moving public entities from dependence to self-sufficiency.

At the heart of Vice-President Dr Mpango’s keynote was a strategic pivot: Tanzania’s public corporations, once focused primarily on domestic service delivery, are now expected to venture into regional markets and actively seek cross-border partnerships and foreign investment.

This is no small ask, but the logic is clear—for Tanzania to compete in the global marketplace, its institutions must become drivers of international business, not just custodians of national resources. Yet, that ambition comes with a burden. Dr Mpango reminded his audience that 86.3tri/- in government investments are tied up in public enterprises—and Tanzanians are still waiting for visible returns.

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“Reforms are not optional,” he said firmly. “They are a responsibility. These institutions must deliver value, stimulate innovation, create jobs and boost revenue,” he underscored.

The message of self-sufficiency and accountability, consistently driven by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, took centre stage at the forum. Deputy Prime Minister Dr Biteko, delivering the closing remarks, emphasised the urgency: “Tanzanians depend on you to transform their lives.

With such massive government investment, every institution has a debt—not just financial, but moral—to deliver real change.” Adding further perspective, Mr Nehemiah Mchechu, the Treasury Registrar, presented a comprehensive update on the state of public investments.

According to him, the value of government assets in public institutions had risen by 32.8 per cent, from 65tri/- in 2020 to 86.3tri/- in 2025—a growth largely driven by strategic sectors like energy and infrastructure But Mr Mchechu did not dwell only on figures; he highlighted what needs to change: Financial discipline, procurement integrity, human resource reform and smarter contract management.

For Dr Venance Mwase, Director General of the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO), the forum crystallised a critical lesson: SOEs must achieve fiscal autonomy. He reflected on the need for enterprises to reduce dependency on government support while ensuring public investments generate meaningful returns through dividends.

“SOEs need to implement major reforms to reduce dependency on the government while ensuring that public investments generate meaningful returns through dividends,” Dr Mwase said.

Beyond financial independence, he also realised the importance of strategic foresight. Sustainability reporting, ESG compliance and awareness of geopolitical trends are no longer optional.

“Sustainability reporting and ESG compliance are no longer optional—they are essential for building resilient and forward-looking institutions,” he added, connecting institutional reforms to the broader vision of DIRA 2050.

Building on the drive for fiscal autonomy, the OTR has enabled STAMICO and Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) to operate solely on internal revenues, reducing their reliance on government funding.

This move underscores the broader need for operational efficiency and strategic alignment, lessons that resonated with Mr Gilead Teri, Director General of the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA). He took away three interconnected insights: Alignment, accountability and agility. “Institutions must translate national priorities into measurable outcomes,” Mr Teri reflected.

“Transparency and results-based performance are the backbone of accountability, while agility allows us to adapt to socio-economic and technological shifts without compromising service delivery.” For him, the forum highlighted that SOEs must link their daily operations directly to national development goals, embedding a culture of performance and adaptability throughout their institutions.

Regulatory modernisation was a key takeaway for Dr James Andilile, Director General of the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA).

He realised that Tanzania’s regional position offers unique opportunities in sectors such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and cross-border electricity trade through the East African and Southern African power pools. But he recognised that capturing these opportunities requires innovation in governance.

“Moving away from traditional regulatory approaches towards e-Regulation is crucial. It will streamline processes, improve transparency and strengthen communication with stakeholders, leading to greater efficiency and better service delivery,” Dr Andilile reflected.

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His insight connected operational efficiency with regulatory modernisation, highlighting that SOEs must integrate multiple strategies to achieve sustainable growth.

Similarly, Ms Latifa Khamis, Director General of the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), drew a lesson on competitiveness and adaptability. She reflected that SOEs must evolve into self-sustaining, productive institutions capable of responding to market and technological shifts.

“Reforms are very crucial to public entities. If you want to succeed, you must make decisions. Institutions need clear performance targets, ICT adoption and the ability to respond to changing markets and technology,” she said.

For Ms Khamis, productivity, adaptability and a forward-looking mindset are essential for public enterprises to remain relevant and impactful. Private sector collaboration: The PUMA perspective PUMA Energy Tanzania Managing Director, Ms Fatma Abdallah, also drew critical lessons from the forum.

“For me, the Forum reinforced just how critical governance, accountability and measurable performance are for the future of our public entities,” she asserted.

She said that the strong call from the government for fiscal discipline, transparent procurement and efficiency reflected the urgency to modernise operations. What stood out as well was the emphasis on digital transformation, moving towards more innovative, technology-enabled service delivery and the need to align strategies with Tanzania’s Dira 2050.

“I also believe the Forum made it very clear that partnerships, both with the private sector and across the region, will be essential if our institutions are to grow and compete sustainably,” she added.

Her reflections highlighted that public-private collaboration and digital transformation are integral to achieving the government’s vision for modern, competitive SOEs. Taken together, these insights reveal a sector in transition, poised for bold reforms and a future of greater impact and efficiency.

● Prepared by Office of the Treasury Registrar