Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) to strengthen forest resource management, improve contract monitoring and ensure development projects are implemented effectively.
The committee also called for timely implementation of its directives and regular reporting on progress, as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism pledged to continue overseeing the agency’s compliance.
The directives were issued on October 21, 2026, during a PAC meeting in Dodoma chaired by acting chairperson Beng’i Mazana Issa.
The committee instructed TFS to work with the ministry and other relevant authorities to expedite legal and administrative procedures relating to forest and mountain reserves, strengthen contract guidelines and resolve outstanding land title issues.
It also called for stronger systems to monitor contracts and ensure companies and other stakeholders operating in designated areas comply with their obligations, including environmental requirements, payments and other contractual terms.
The measures are intended to strengthen accountability in the management of forest resources and ensure that activities conducted in protected areas comply with agreed conditions.
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PAC further emphasised the need for closer cooperation between TFS, the ministry and development partners to track project financing, ensure implementation conditions are met and make timely use of available funds to complete planned projects.
Effective monitoring of project financing and expenditure is important to ensuring that allocated resources translate into completed projects and tangible benefits, rather than delays in implementation.
Speaking on behalf of the TFS Advisory Board, its chairperson, retired Lieutenant Colonel Chiku Abdallah Gallawa, said the board would continue advising the agency and monitoring implementation of the committee’s directives.
He said the board was ready to work with PAC and consider recommendations aimed at improving the agency’s performance and delivering better results.
Mr Gallawa also stressed the importance of regular communication between the agency, the board and oversight institutions, arguing that emerging challenges should be discussed throughout the financial year rather than being left until its end.
The committee’s directives place emphasis on stronger institutional accountability, compliance with contractual obligations and closer supervision of development projects within the forestry sector.