By Business Insider Correspondents, Dodoma
Tanzania is stepping up efforts to tighten the management of public assets, with government institutions ordered to record and maintain comprehensive asset information through the Government Assets Management Information System (GAMIS).
The move is aimed at strengthening accountability, improving the use of public resources and reducing audit queries arising from weak asset management.
The directive was issued by Chotto Sendo, Director of the Government Assets Management Department at the Ministry of Finance, during a visit to the ministry’s pavilion at the Nanenane International Agricultural Exhibition in Nzuguni, Dodoma.
Mr Sendo said the government had invested heavily in strategic infrastructure and other public assets, making effective management critical to protecting the value of those investments.
Among the major projects he cited was the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, which has attracted investment of about TSh6 trillion, while the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has cost approximately TSh10.6 trillion. Other major investments include the acquisition of aircraft, the TSh716.3 billion Kigongo-Busisi Bridge and urban and rural water projects worth about TSh457.4 billion.
“These public assets are critical resources that enable the government to provide services to citizens and implement development projects,” Mr. Sendo said.
He noted that an average of about 70 per cent of public institutions’ budgets was spent on procurement that ultimately created assets, underscoring the need for stronger controls over their management.
He said asset management must be guided by accountability, efficiency and compliance with established laws, regulations and procedures.
“With the scale of investment and the volume of resources in the country, it is essential to have effective strategies for managing these assets so that they are used for their intended purposes and continue generating value for the government over the long term,” he said.
The Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for overseeing public asset management, has introduced and expanded the use of GAMIS as a central electronic platform for recording, storing and processing information on assets held by public institutions.
The system is expected to give the government a clearer picture of the assets it owns while improving monitoring, reporting and decision-making.
Mr Sendo said the ministry had also strengthened the legal framework governing public assets through amendments to the Public Finance Act, Cap. 348, alongside the introduction of the Public Assets Management Regulations, 2024.
The reforms are intended to strengthen institutional systems and ensure that public assets are managed as a national resource rather than simply as administrative property.
Accounting officers were urged to strengthen internal accountability systems and lead by example by upholding integrity, transparency, accountability and efficiency.
Mr Sendo stressed that public assets should be treated as a trust held on behalf of all Tanzanians.
Public institutions were also directed to dispose of obsolete, idle, surplus and expired assets in accordance with existing laws, regulations and guidelines.
In another measure aimed at tightening controls, institutions have been instructed to report accidents, losses and damage involving public assets to the Paymaster General within 30 days of an incident.
Assets damaged in accidents must also be repaired promptly once the necessary approval has been obtained. The government’s renewed focus on GAMIS comes as Tanzania continues to expand public investment in infrastructure, transport, energy, water and other sectors. Effective asset management will therefore increasingly determine how much value the country derives from the billions of shillings invested in public infrastructure and equipment.
