The government has initiated a national audit to identify all privatized industries that have remained dormant or have been repurposed as warehouses, with the aim of repossessing them and reallocating to serious investors.
The exercise has commenced in Tanga Region and is now underway in Morogoro, according to the Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr. Selemani Jafo.
Speaking during the opening of the second meeting of Regional Trade Officers, Directors of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jafo said that a number of industries privatized after the first phase of the country’s industrialization are not serving their intended purpose.
"Many of these factories established during the era of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere were privatized in good faith. Unfortunately, a significant number have been turned into storage facilities or abandoned completely," he said.
Dr. Jafo warned that the government will no longer tolerate underutilized industrial assets and will take legal steps through the Office of the Attorney General to repossess them.
"The process is now active in Tanga and will continue across other regions, including Morogoro. Once identified, the factories will revert to government ownership for reassignment to credible investors with tangible plans to operate them," he added.
The minister said the move aligns with the government’s broader agenda to fast-track industrialization and create employment opportunities for Tanzanians.
On the warehouse receipt system (WRS), Dr. Jafo said it continues to strengthen agricultural value chains and enhance transparency in trade, urging local government trade officers to intensify oversight and ensure efficiency in their jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA), Mr. Godfrey Nyaisa, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with regional trade officers to ease access to business registration services.
“BRELA is not only decentralizing services but also investing in capacity building for officers in the regions. This will help ensure that entrepreneurs receive timely support and guidance,” he said.
Mr. Nyaisa urged regional officials to identify and promote emerging investment zones within their local authorities, noting that such efforts would increase government revenues and stimulate regional economies.
Morogoro Regional Commissioner Mr. Adam Malima said the region is making significant strides in the trade sector, announcing a ten-year vision to position Morogoro as the world’s second-largest producer of cloves and other spice crops.
He called on trade officers to align their initiatives with regional priorities and promote Morogoro’s potential in agro-processing and exports.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Dr. Hashil Abdallah, underscored the role of trade officers in policy implementation, describing them as “frontline enablers of Tanzania’s industrial and commercial transformation.”
"The strength and performance of this workforce will determine how fast we can achieve our national goals," he concluded.
