The Policy Forum's June Breakfast Debate brought together stakeholders to address critical issues surrounding budget transparency and public participation in Tanzania. The event, hosted in collaboration with HAKI Elimu and Stanbic Bank Biashara Incubator, focused on the findings of the Open Budget Survey 2023 (OBS 2023).

Policy Forum held the March 2024 Breakfast Debate in collaboration with Stanbic Bank Biashara Incubator, which focused on shedding light on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and identifying key loopholes that the government must address to effectively combat this issue. The discussions delved into various facets of IFFs, highlighting their detrimental impact on the economy and the urgent need for concerted efforts to curb them.

Policy Forum conducted a two-day training session in Dodoma, Tanzania, which aimed at bolstering the understanding and capacity of civil society organizations, faith actors, academia, and parliamentarians on taxation issues.

This was done in collaboration with Norwegian Church Aid / Kirkens Nødhjelp and Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), with focus on building resilient tax systems capable of navigating economic fluctuations and adapting to shifts in government priorities.

Renowned for its vast mineral wealth, Africa remains a significant source of fiscal revenues and holds a crucial position in global mineral reserves. Nonetheless, the continent grapples with the challenge of translating its abundant resources into sustained prosperity for its citizens, with Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) emerging as a formidable obstacle.

The African Parliamentary Network on Illicit Financial Flows and Taxation (APNIFFT), in collaboration with the Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA) and Policy Forum, is gearing up to launch the APNIFFT Tanzania national caucus on September 7, 2023.

The measures taken by the Government of Tanzania after the release of the report of the Controller and Auditor General for the year 2021/2022, which showed that there has been a large amount of misuse of public funds have been stated to be ineffective because the concept of accountability has not been fully implemented.

The Open Budget Survey (OBS) is the world’s only independent, comparative and fact-based research instrument that uses internationally accepted criteria to assess public access to central government budget information; formal opportunities for the public to participate in the national budget process; and the role of budget oversight institutions, such as legislatures and national audit offices, in the budget process.

Tanzania’s mining sector has recently experienced tremendous changes in its legal and policy frameworks. Generally, the said reforms were aimed at ensuring that country’s natural resources benefit all Tanzanians, particularly through government revenue collection and corresponding distribution. Citizen participation is key in collecting and distributing revenues from mining operations.