It is our pleasure to present to you the analysis of the FY 2023/24 national budget. Policy Forum commends the government’s economic reforms aimed at promoting private sector-led growth and enhancing the business environment and emphasizes the importance of budget credibility in achieving sustainable development goals.

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.

The Citizen’s Budget booklet provides a summary of policies and plans reflected in the Government budget in a simplified form. The aim of this booklet is to increase citizen’s awareness, access to budgetary information, transparency and accountability in public finance management. The policies and plans reflected in the Government budget impact the lives of citizens and therefore it is important for them to understand and fully participate in the implementation of development plans.

This Pre-budget policy position paper from the Policy Forum (PF), a network of over 60 Tanzanian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) brought together by their interest in public money accountability, builds on previous efforts to contribute to the budget process, discourse and performance. Compiled by its Budget Working Group, this submission recognises the government’s quest to heal the Tanzanian economy from the scarring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education stakeholders made an appeal to the government

An analysis made by Policy Forum shows that in Africa, 10 to 12 million youth enter the workforce each year although only 3 million formal jobs are created whilst the impact of the enduring COVID-19 pandemic is highly expected to worsen the trend. Considering the population of Tanzania which has increased more than four times from 12.3 million in 1967 to 55.9 million in 2019 where the average annual growth rate according to the 2012 Population and Housing Census is 3.1% which also stipulates 77% of Tanzanians are below the age of 35 and 19% are between 15-24 years.

Policy Forum’s 2021/22 Pre-Budget Position Statement The State of 2021/2022 Budget: Towards a Competitive and Industrialized Nation for Human Development

This submission from the Policy Forum (PF), a network of 76 Tanzanian NGOs brought together by their interest in public money accountability, is a continuation of efforts to contribute to the budget process, discourse and performance. Compiled by its Budget Working Group, the submission focuses on key public sectors namely; education, health, agriculture, youth and water and presents crucial concerns related to resource mobilisation, allocation, and execution and makes recommendations worth consideration in the Parliamentary deliberations.