By Correspondent Peter Haule, Manyara
The Ministry of Finance has urged public servants and Tanzanians at large to embrace regular exercise, saying a healthier workforce is essential for improving productivity and supporting national development.
The call was made by Lusius Mwenda, Director of Administration and Human Resources at the Ministry of Finance, after he led the Treasury Social Runners team in the Manyara Tanzanite Marathon in Babati, Manyara Region.
Mwenda took part in the 21-kilometre race himself, joining hundreds of participants in an event whose chief guest was Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Daniel Baran Sillo.
He said public servants should lead by example in initiatives that inspire healthier lifestyles among citizens, including participation in sport and regular physical exercise.
“Investing in the health of public servants is an important part of improving productivity because a healthy employee is better positioned to perform their duties effectively, particularly when they maintain physical fitness through regular exercise and participation in different sporting activities,” Mwenda said.
He said regular exercise not only improves physical fitness but can also contribute to better performance at work by helping employees maintain healthier lifestyles.
Health investment as a productivity strategy
Mwenda commended the Ministry of Finance for continuing to invest in employee wellbeing through health screening programmes and opportunities for staff to participate in sporting activities, including exercise, marathons and cross-country running.
He said such investment was important in ensuring that public servants remain healthy and capable of carrying out their responsibilities efficiently, ultimately improving productivity across the public sector.
Mwenda also warned that a lack of regular physical activity can increase the risk of non-communicable diseases, including hypertension and diabetes, which can affect individual wellbeing and undermine workplace performance.
The Manyara Tanzanite Marathon therefore provided more than a sporting platform, highlighting the growing link between employee wellness, productivity and institutional performance.
Treasury team joins fundraising drive
The Treasury Social Runners team fielded 34 participants from the Ministry of Finance, who competed in races ranging from five to 21 kilometres.
Their participation reflected the ministry’s efforts to promote a culture of exercise and sport among its workforce, based on the recognition that good health is a foundation for productive employment and sustainable development.
Beyond promoting fitness, the Manyara Tanzanite Marathon also had a wider social objective. Organisers aimed to raise approximately TSh1.5 billion towards the construction of a premature babies’ unit in Hanang District, Manyara Region.
The initiative illustrates how sporting events can combine health promotion with community development, using participation in athletics to mobilise resources for critical social infrastructure. For public institutions such as the Ministry of Finance, the message is increasingly clear: investing in employee health is not simply a welfare initiative – it can also be viewed as an investment in productivity, institutional performance and national development.
