Finance Minister Khamis Mussa Omar has challenged professional bodies to go beyond building technical expertise by ensuring that competence is matched by strong ethical standards.
Mr Omar said professional knowledge without integrity could undermine the very purpose of expertise, stressing that accountants, auditors, tax consultants and procurement specialists have an important role to play in strengthening public and private sector accountability.
He made the remarks in Dar es Salaam when he met a delegation from the Zanzibar Institute of Accountants, Auditors and Tax Consultants (ZIAAT), led by its Executive Director, CPA Ame Burhan Shadhil.
“We have exchanged views on how to regulate the professions and how ZIAAT can continue working with the National Board of Accountants and Auditors Tanzania (NBAA) to further strengthen the institution,” Mr Omar said.
He said Tanzania needs professionals who are technically competent, but equally committed to ethical conduct, arguing that professional standards should ultimately translate into tangible benefits for society and national development.
Mr Omar also urged ZIAAT to strengthen its collaboration with institutions responsible for regulating professional qualifications, particularly NBAA, to improve accreditation and expand recognition of its programmes within Tanzania and across Africa.
“NBAA has been working with ZIAAT to enable it to secure registration with some institutions within Africa, and it is important for this cooperation to continue,” he said.
The minister said closer cooperation between professional institutions was necessary as ZIAAT operates across several areas, including accounting, auditing, taxation and procurement.
He also pointed to the existing cooperation between the Accountant General of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Accountant General of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, particularly in professional capacity building and strengthening accounting systems.
The collaboration, he said, provides an opportunity to ensure that professionals operating in both parts of the Union benefit from stronger standards, knowledge sharing and institutional support.
For his part, CPA Shadhil said ZIAAT, although still a young institution, had made progress through its partnership with NBAA under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The agreement has enabled the two institutions to collaborate in professional training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes.
“Although our institution is still young, we have established a good working relationship with NBAA through the MoU we signed. Through this cooperation, we provide education and conduct CPD seminars, and currently we hold two seminars every year,” CPA Shadhil said.
He said ZIAAT also offers a Professional Tax course for practitioners from both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, providing an avenue for professionals to deepen their expertise in taxation.
CPA Shadhil said Tanzania needs more specialised tax professionals as the economy and tax administration continue to evolve.
He urged practitioners to make use of available training opportunities to improve their skills and contribute to strengthening the country's tax profession.
He said cooperation among professional institutions would remain critical in developing a workforce equipped with the right combination of knowledge, technical skills and ethical standards.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Elijah Mwandumbya; Accountant General CPA Leonard Mkude; NBAA Executive Director CPA Prof Siasa Mzenzi; Acting Controller and Auditor General Kenneth Nindie; and other senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and ZIAAT.