Tanzania is pushing for greater use of technology in tax administration to widen the domestic revenue base, improve compliance and make it easier for businesses and individuals to meet their tax obligations, Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi has said.
Mr Ndejembi said technology should become a central tool for governments seeking to increase revenue without placing unnecessary pressure on productive economic activities.
He made the remarks yesterday while representing President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the opening of the 46th meeting of the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA) in Arusha.
The meeting brings together more than 400 tax experts and senior officials from 48 Commonwealth countries to discuss how technology can improve revenue collection.
Mr Ndejembi said an effective tax system should provide certainty for taxpayers, support legitimate businesses, encourage investment and formalisation, and allow the private sector to contribute to economic growth.
“Tax collection should not hinder productive economic activities but should support them,” he said.
He said sustainable growth in domestic revenue could not rely solely on increasing tax rates, but should instead be driven by economic growth, formalisation, a wider taxpayer base, voluntary compliance and better use of data and technology.
The Vice President also challenged CATA to ensure that international cooperation on taxation translates into practical and measurable improvements within member countries.
He said the association should provide a platform for countries to assess their performance, exchange information, strengthen administrative cooperation and learn from tax systems that have produced results.
“International experience should be translated into measurable domestic reforms,” Mr Ndejembi said.
Tanzania, he added, recognised the importance of international tax cooperation and was strengthening its participation in initiatives such as tax information exchange and mutual administrative assistance.
In July 2026, Tanzania was internationally recognised as meeting standards relating to tax transparency and the exchange of information upon request.
Mr Ndejembi described the development as a sign of progress but warned that international tax standards were constantly changing, requiring Tanzania to continue strengthening its legal and institutional frameworks.
He said the government also wanted digital tax systems to reduce unnecessary interactions between taxpayers and tax officials, improve transparency and support risk-based enforcement.
For compliant taxpayers, he said, technology should make it easier, faster and less costly to fulfil tax obligations.
The meeting's theme, “Leveraging Technology for Efficient Revenue Collection,” comes as tax administrations across the world increasingly shift from manual processes to digital systems.
Mr Ndejembi said technology should help tax authorities identify taxpayers who fail to comply while making voluntary compliance simpler for those who follow the law.
“This should reduce administrative costs, improve taxpayer services and create a better environment for legitimate businesses,” he said.
CATA President Dr Abu Tariq Jamaluddin said the association was a platform through which tax leaders and professionals from Commonwealth countries could share experience and improve their administrations.
He said CATA had strengthened its work over the past year through programmes on leadership, planning and technology, as well as online discussions aimed at promoting continuous learning among member countries.
Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) Commissioner General CPA Yusuph Mwenda said the government had invested in digital systems as part of efforts to modernise tax administration.
Among the systems is the Integrated Domestic Revenue Administration System (IDRAS), which has 17 modules, including one for electronic invoicing.
Mr Mwenda said the electronic invoicing module allows taxpayers to issue electronic invoices through the system without having to use physical invoicing machines.
The development is part of broader efforts to digitise revenue collection while improving taxpayer convenience and strengthening the government's ability to monitor economic activity and compliance.
The CATA meeting is expected to provide member countries with an opportunity to exchange experiences on digital tax administration and identify approaches that can improve revenue mobilisation while supporting economic activity.