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The Government has directed boards and management of public institutions and enterprises to make bold and swift decisions in carrying out their responsibilities, while stressing that the pace of decision-making must be grounded in strong foundations of the law, accountability and good governance.
Closing the Forum of Chairpersons of Boards and Chief Executive Officers of Public Institutions and Enterprises (C-CEOs Forum 2026) in Arusha yesterday, Chief Secretary Ambassador Dr Moses Kusiluka, said the early years of implementing Dira 2050 are critical because decisions made now will significantly influence the pace and quality of Tanzania’s development in the years ahead.
“This Working Session is taking place at a very important moment in the history of our nation. Dira 2050 is no longer something for the future. Its implementation has begun,” he said.
He said decisions being made now, investments being initiated, institutions being built and leaders being prepared would largely determine Tanzania’s journey towards 2050.
Ambassador Kusiluka stressed that achieving the Vision requires leaders to be prepared to make consequential decisions and take action on time, warning against resolutions that do not match the scale of change required. “Let us not come up with easy resolutions,” he said.
However, he said the drive for faster decision-making should not be interpreted as abandoning the procedures and principles governing public administration.
He said the pace of implementation must go hand in hand with good governance, accountability and compliance with the law, while institutions should use Government systems to obtain clarification on legal matters so that decisions can be made on time and correctly.
“We want our institutions to have the courage to make decisions and move forward, but they must do so within strong foundations of the law, accountability and good governance,” he said.
In his directives to the Office of the Treasury Registrar, Ambassador Kusiluka said public institutions should be assessed against major performance indicators that demonstrate real results, rather than benchmarking themselves against institutions that are themselves underperforming.
“Our benchmark should not be other institutions that are not performing well. Let us benchmark ourselves against our counterparts elsewhere in the world who are performing better,” he said.
On the role of young people, he said the Office of the Chief Secretary was ready to approve the recruitment of young people into leadership positions, particularly in innovation units, even where they lacked extensive experience, provided they possessed rare and distinctive skills that could increase productivity in institutions and the nation.
He also directed the public and private sectors to work together, expressing confidence that all institutions would align their plans with Vision 2050.
On audit queries, Ambassador Kusiluka said directives issued by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) should not be treated merely as matters to be addressed for audit purposes, but should be used to strengthen systems, manage risks and prevent recurring audit queries.
He said public enterprises have a unique role in implementing Dira 2050 because of their contribution to production, trade, transport, energy, investment and public services.
Ambassador Kusiluka also directed institutions to work together and implement the resolutions of the C-CEOs Forum, saying they should not mark the conclusion of the meeting but the beginning of work.
He said he had already been briefed on the implementation of all nine resolutions from last year’s forum and was pleased to see good progress in many areas.
“Therefore, do not regard these resolutions as the conclusion of this Working Session; regard them as the beginning of the work,” he said.
He directed institutions to ensure that every leader understands what concerns them, what needs to change and what results should be visible, with the resolutions incorporated into each institution’s implementation plans as appropriate.
Ambassador Kusiluka said implementation of Dira 2050 would also depend on peace, security, stability and strong institutions.
“These are the conditions that enable investment to take place, businesses to grow, citizens to work in peace and the nation to plan its future with confidence,” he said.
He said the true measure of the success of the C-CEOs Forum would be seen after participants leave Arusha, through the quality of decisions made, the speed of implementation, the resolution of challenges, collaboration, the value generated from public resources and results delivered to citizens.
“Do not leave good ideas in this hall. Do not let the relationships you have built end in Arusha. And above all, do not allow the resolutions you have agreed upon to become merely a good record of this Working Session; make them part of the results of your institutions,” he said.
Speaking on efforts to strengthen the performance of public institutions, Permanent Secretary responsible for Investment, Dr Fred Msemwa, commended the OTR for the reforms it is undertaking, but said much work remains because of the high expectations of citizens.
“I have confidence in the professionalism of the Office of the Treasury Registrar; we will reach where we want to go,” he said.
Speaking on the same direction, Treasury Registrar Nehemiah Mchechu said public enterprises need to shift from measuring success by activities undertaken to measuring outcomes and the value generated for the nation.
He said this requires productivity, efficiency, innovation and the use of technology, while ensuring that public resources are used carefully and investments generate measurable value.
For commercial enterprises, Mr Mchechu said performance should be reflected in productivity, sustainability and profitability, while public service institutions should focus on the quality, accessibility and efficiency of services.
The C-CEOs Forum 2026, coordinated by OTR, was held in Arusha from September 28 to 30, bringing together more than 700 participants from 320 public institutions and enterprises, alongside other stakeholders, under the theme “High-Performing Public Enterprises for a Competitive, Inclusive and Resilient Economy: Advancing Vision 2050.”