What changed
Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba directed Tanzania’s ministries and public institutions to prioritise locally manufactured goods in procurement. He announced the measure in Dodoma on 4 November 2026, alongside the launch of the Sustainable Industrial Development Policy 2025 and the revised Small and Medium Enterprises Development Policy 2003.
The directive covers a push to:
- strengthen domestic industry and protect jobs;
- increase value added to local resources;
- reduce dependence on imported essential goods;
- connect larger industries with micro, small and medium enterprises.
Why it matters
The policy turns government purchasing into a test of Tanzania’s industrial ambitions. Local manufacturers may gain a more dependable market, while smaller firms could find new openings to supply raw materials, services and innovations to larger companies.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is also expected to coordinate industrial value chains and help turn the policies into measurable results through stronger monitoring, evaluation and regulatory review. Nchemba pointed to roofing sheets, cement, marble, transformers, electricity meters and cables as products increasingly made in Tanzania.
The practical effect will depend on rules that have not yet been specified, including the directive’s coverage, enforcement mechanism and implementation timetable. For now, the clearest signal is political: public institutions are being asked to make domestic demand part of Tanzania’s industrial strategy, not leave local factories to compete for markets on their own.
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