By Costantine Muganyizi
The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has marked its 30th anniversary with two milestones that highlight Tanzania’s growing capacity to mobilise domestic revenue.
The Authority recorded an all-time high TSh 37.957 trillion in tax collections during the 2025/2026 financial year. The celebrations also featured the inaugural Presidential Taxpayers Awards, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan recognised leading taxpayers for their contribution to the country’s economic development.
The twin achievements reflect the evolution of TRA from a conventional tax administrator established in 1996 into a technology-driven revenue institution that is increasingly relying on voluntary compliance, digital innovation and stronger partnerships with the private sector to finance Tanzania’s development agenda.
Speaking during the TRA@30 celebrations and Presidential Taxpayers Awards ceremony held in Dar es Salaam on July 1, TRA Commissioner General Yusuph Mwenda announced that the Authority collected TSh 37.957 trillion, surpassing its annual target of TSh 36.066 trillion by achieving 105.24 percent of the projected revenue.
The performance represents a 17.6 percent increase over the previous financial year and the highest annual revenue collection in the Authority’s history.
Mr. Mwenda attributed the achievement to President Samia’s continued policy guidance, which has emphasized strengthening collaboration with taxpayers, modernizing tax administration, expanding digital services, enhancing revenue collection without coercive measures, and increasing government revenue without raising tax rates.
He said the reforms have encouraged voluntary tax compliance while improving the efficiency, transparency and effectiveness of tax administration, enabling TRA to broaden the tax base and improve taxpayer services.
For President Samia, the milestone is evidence that domestic resource mobilization is becoming an increasingly reliable engine for Tanzania’s economic transformation.
Officiating the ceremony, the President described voluntary tax compliance as a cornerstone of national development, commending businesses and individuals that consistently fulfill their tax obligations and contribute to financing strategic infrastructure, healthcare, education, energy, water and other essential public services.
She also praised TRA for the far-reaching reforms implemented over the past three decades, saying modernization of tax administration and expanded use of digital technologies have strengthened public confidence, simplified compliance and supported sustained growth in government revenue.
The President said recognizing compliant taxpayers sends a strong message that responsible taxpaying is not merely a legal obligation but a vital contribution to nation-building.
The ceremony marked the first time Tanzania has conferred Presidential Taxpayers Awards, elevating tax compliance to a national honour and reinforcing the government’s commitment to fostering a cooperative relationship with the private sector.
The night’s highest honour went to Twiga Cement, which was named Overall Top Taxpayer, highlighting the manufacturing sector’s growing contribution to Tanzania’s domestic revenue base and industrialization agenda.
Other winners reflected the breadth of Tanzania’s expanding economy. Puma Energy Tanzania Ltd received the Best Wet Cargo Importer Award, Watu Credit Tanzania Ltd won the Tax Compliance Excellence Award, while Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd was recognized as the leading Digital Services/Non-Resident Taxpayer.
Additional recipients included Bakhresa Food Products Ltd for Manufacturing, Marinair Freights Ltd in Freight and Logistics, Toyota Tanzania Ltd as the leading Motor Vehicle Importer, Mount Meru Petroleum Ltd in the Petroleum Sector, and DP World Tanzania for Port and Logistics Services.
The diversity of the award recipients illustrates how businesses across manufacturing, logistics, petroleum, financial services, automotive, digital services and international trade are contributing to the expansion of Tanzania’s tax base and strengthening domestic revenue mobilization.
For the business community, the awards represent more than corporate recognition. They signal a shift in the country’s tax culture – one that views compliance as a hallmark of responsible corporate citizenship, sound governance and partnership in national development.
Mr Mwenda said TRA remains committed to building a fair, transparent and efficient tax system that encourages voluntary compliance through continuous investment in digital innovation, risk-based compliance systems and taxpayer education. These initiatives, he noted, have improved revenue collection while reducing the cost and complexity of compliance for businesses. The TRA@30 celebrations therefore represent more than an institutional anniversary. They reflect three decades of reforms that have transformed tax administration into a strategic pillar of Tanzania’s economic development, while demonstrating how government and the private sector can work together to mobilize domestic resources for sustainable growth.
