NEEC reaps the fruits of the Empowerment Act’s amendments
DAR ES SALAAM: Emmanuel Malengela, the Legal Officer of the National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC), has highlighted that the amendments made to the 2025 Empowerment Act have significantly improved the Council’s efficiency in overseeing empowerment activities.
Speaking to a local news outlet today, October 9, 2025, Malengela explained that the changes have granted NEEC direct authority to manage all empowerment activities, including imposing penalties on those who violate the law.
“The previous law did not specify penalties, and as we all know, laws without penalties are difficult to enforce effectively. Therefore, these amendments have introduced penalties for offenses previously committed by empowerment practitioners,” said Malengela.
Furthermore, Malengela noted that the new law clarifies the scope of empowerment funds and their programs, placing them under the direct control of NEEC.
Meanwhile, NEEC’s Acting Executive Secretary, Neema Mwakatobe, stated that the amendments have empowered the Council to coordinate, monitor, manage, and evaluate empowerment activities. She emphasized that all entities involved in such activities must be officially recognized as required by the law.
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Neema further explained that the Council is preparing a database containing information on all institutions engaged in empowerment. This database will enable practitioners to register their empowerment projects, facilitating better coordination among the Council, practitioners, and the intended beneficiaries.
“The law has given us the authority to identify individuals and institutions involved in empowerment activities. Once recognized, we will issue certificates verifying the legitimacy of their operations, whether they are governmental or private entities. This will help us know who they are, what they do, what services they provide, and under which authority,” said Neema Mwakatobe.
