Tanzania's ambition to create more jobs, reduce dependence on imports and expand its economy will largely depend on the ability of local industries to turn domestic raw materials into competitive finished products, the Tanzania Engineering and Manufacturing Design Organisation (TEMDO) has said.
The institution says strengthening domestic manufacturing will be critical to translating the country's industrial policies into tangible economic benefits, including employment opportunities, higher productivity and increased participation in international markets.
TEMDO Director General Eng Prof Frederick C. Kahimba said the Sustainable Industrial Development Policy and the revised Small and Medium Enterprises Development Policy, originally introduced in 2003 and updated in 2025, provide an important framework for building the country's industrial capacity.
Speaking to journalists in Dodoma after the launch of the policies, Prof Kahimba said expanding local processing would enable Tanzania to capture more value from its natural resources instead of relying heavily on exporting raw materials or importing finished goods.
He said a stronger manufacturing sector could also help address unemployment, particularly through investments in industries with the capacity to employ large numbers of people.
"Industrial development has a significant role in addressing unemployment," he said, citing large textile factories as an example of investments capable of creating thousands of jobs while stimulating economic activities across other sectors.
Beyond direct employment, he said, industrial investments could generate demand for raw materials, transport, packaging, distribution and other supporting services, creating wider opportunities for businesses and communities.
Prof Kahimba said increasing domestic production would also help reduce reliance on imported products, protect local employment and ease pressure on foreign currency reserves.
He added that expanding production beyond domestic demand would allow Tanzanian manufacturers to explore export markets, potentially increasing the country's earnings from international trade.
However, translating the policy ambitions into economic gains will require stronger industrial capabilities, appropriate technologies and closer collaboration between the Government and private sector.
Explaining TEMDO's role, Prof Kahimba said the institution supports industrial development through research into manufacturing technologies, engineering services, technical training and the design of machinery that enables manufacturers to improve production processes.
He said its work focuses on sectors such as agriculture, livestock, mining and healthcare, where technology can help transform locally available resources into higher-value products.
The institution designs and manufactures equipment intended to support small, medium-sized and large-scale production, including sunflower oil extraction machines, fruit-processing equipment, maize shellers, milk and honey processing machines, animal feed production equipment and leather-processing machinery.
It also manufactures medical equipment, including hospital beds, as part of efforts to strengthen domestic production capacity and reduce reliance on imported equipment.
Prof Kahimba urged Tanzanians to support locally manufactured products by choosing and trusting goods produced in the country.
He said the success of the industrial policies would depend not only on Government interventions but also on the participation of manufacturers, entrepreneurs and consumers.
Building a stronger domestic manufacturing base, he said, requires collective efforts to develop industries that can create sustainable employment, make better use of local resources and improve the competitiveness of Tanzanian products.
The broader objective is to ensure industrial growth translates into wider economic opportunities rather than remaining concentrated in production figures alone.