The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has announced plans to establish offices at the ward level, a move aimed at facilitating business growth and improving service delivery across the country.
Speaking on September 27, 2025, during the launch of the Special Business Empowerment Desk, TRA Commissioner General, Mr. Yusuph Juma Mwenda, highlighted that the initiative will first target the Dar es Salaam city, which accounts for more than 80% of national tax revenue.
The move reflects a strategic shift toward prioritizing business development over immediate tax collection.
“Business is more important than tax collection. We cannot collect taxes where businesses are not thriving. TRA must first enable business growth before demanding revenue,” said Mwenda, underlining the Authority’s focus on sustainable economic expansion.
The launch event carried the theme: “We Recognize, We Listen, We Empower”, reflecting the government’s commitment to creating a business environment that values the input of entrepreneurs and supports operational growth.
The initiative aligns with the Sixth Phase Government’s agenda under President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, which seeks to enhance productivity, create employment, and ultimately strengthen national revenue.
The Special Business Empowerment Desk forms part of TRA’s broader strategy to improve service delivery, increase transparency, and promote voluntary tax compliance.
It will serve as a one-stop platform to receive complaints, challenges, and suggestions from business operators, which will be addressed in coordination with relevant institutions to ensure that tax collection translates into national development.
Mwenda emphasized that the desk is designed to foster collaboration between TRA and the business community.
“This initiative brings TRA closer to the people. By establishing offices at the ward level, our officers can provide services more efficiently and respond to business needs in real time,” he said.
The initiative also includes public seminars under the leadership of the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, funded by TRA, to educate traders about the desk and its functions.
Mwenda assured that policy and administrative challenges will be addressed promptly and stressed that the desk is not intended to pressure businesses for taxes but to create an enabling environment for growth and voluntary compliance.
Kariakoo Business Association Chairman, Mr. Sevelin Mushi, welcomed the initiative but urged that it produce tangible results.
“We hope the desk goes beyond words and delivers practical solutions to the challenges we face,” he said, calling on TRA to reconsider asset auctions for traders unable to pay taxes immediately and instead allow gradual repayment under association guarantees.
Acting Commissioner for Domestic Taxes, Mr. Godwin Barango, explained that the desk will connect TRA, business operators, and other government institutions, facilitating access to credit, markets, trade exhibitions, and better understanding of tax and customs regulations.
He emphasized that the initiative strengthens public-private sector collaboration and promotes a tax-compliant business culture.
By bringing services closer to traders and focusing on business empowerment, TRA’s new strategy signals a shift from a purely revenue-driven approach to one that integrates economic development with sustainable tax compliance.