Tanzania has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the nationwide ban on plastic bags while strengthening the institutional capacity of the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), as the country prepares to mark the agency’s 40th anniversary.
Speaking during activities linked to the upcoming World Environment Day 2026 commemorations, Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Engineer Hamad Yusuf Masauni, said the government was implementing broader environmental reforms aimed at addressing pollution, waste management, and climate-related challenges.
Masauni said the government was continuing to strengthen NEMC, the country’s principal environmental regulatory body, to improve enforcement and ensure long-term environmental protection measures are effectively implemented nationwide. He stressed that the ban on plastic bags remains fully operational and warned that legal action would continue against manufacturers, distributors, and users violating the law.
“The government is not on leave,” Masauni said, emphasizing that authorities were carrying out ongoing inspections and enforcement operations even as broader institutional reforms are being developed to provide more sustainable and permanent solutions.
Tanzania banned lightweight plastic carrier bags in 2019 as part of efforts to curb pollution and protect ecosystems. Since then, NEMC has played a central role in coordinating enforcement, environmental education, and compliance monitoring, although officials acknowledge challenges remain in fully eliminating illegal plastic production and distribution networks.
The minister said the government was also working with the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI) and the Ministry of Works to address waste management and infrastructure challenges, including waste transportation and road access in Dar es Salaam.
Masauni further recognized the contribution of informal waste collectors, environmental volunteers, and community-based activists, saying environmental conservation could not succeed through government institutions alone. He said individuals and grassroots groups working independently on environmental protection efforts remained important partners in the national strategy.
As NEMC approaches its 40th anniversary, the government has increasingly highlighted the institution’s role in environmental governance, including environmental impact assessments, public awareness campaigns, and implementation of international environmental agreements.
