To help businesses navigate the labour challenges caused by the pandemic, we have highlighted a few measures that may be applied to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis to businesses in Tanzania.
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The coverage of this pandemic by the global and local media clearly indicates the economic problems ahead not only for individuals but also for businesses at large. This calls for a reflection of the effect of this pandemic on the financial sector in Tanzania given the current global and local environment.
If you ask a Tanzanian business owner why the bank said no to their loan application, the response is often the same: the business is real, the stock and machinery are real, but the only collateral the lender would take is land. The Secured Transactions (Movable Property) Act 2026 (“the Act”)2 is intended to break this pattern by creating Tanzania Mainland’s first dedicated framework for taking security over movable property (i.e., inventory, equipment, vehicles, livestock, crops, receivables and other tangible and intangible assets) as loan collateral. It establishes a Collateral Registry (“the Registry”) under the Bank of Tanzania (“BOT”) and sets out rules on how security interests are created, registered, prioritised and enforced. The policy aim is to increase access to credit, support growth and reduce poverty by allowing borrowers to use the productive assets they already hold or own thereby reduce heavy reliance on land and buildings as collateral.
The Bank of Tanzania has introduced the Foreign Exchange (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, introducing one of the most significant changes to Tanzania’s foreign exchange framework since the Foreign Exchange Regulations, 2022. The amendments expand opportunities for non-residents to participate in Tanzania’s capital markets while introducing shorter reporting timelines and enhanced monitoring requirements for cross-border trade transactions. Together, the reforms reflect a policy objective of attracting investment while strengthening regulatory oversight of foreign exchange flows.
A taxpayer has the right to appeal to the Tax Revenue Appeals Board to challenge the Commissioner General of TRA’s objection decisions, other decisions and omissions.
On July 28, 2025, the Government of Tanzania issued Government Notice No. 487A of 2025, introducing the Business Licensing (Prohibition of Business Activities for Non-Citizens) Order, 2025 (the Order) under the Business Licensing Act, Cap. 101.