Dar es Salaam, March 2, 2026 – Tanzania must adopt bold reforms and new ways of thinking if it is to achieve its long-term development goals under Vision 2050, according to the Minister of State in the President’s Office for Planning and Investment, Prof Kitila Mkumbo.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Mwananchi Communications Limited’s Executive Editor, Mpoki Thomson, Prof Mkumbo said relying on traditional systems and slow reforms will not deliver the economic transformation the country needs over the next 25 years.
He explained that Vision 2050 aims to move Tanzania into a higher level of economic growth, industrial development, and improved living standards. However, he stressed that this goal requires innovation, efficiency, and stronger institutions.
“Business as usual will not take us where we want to go,” Prof Mkumbo said, noting that Tanzania must rethink how it plans, invests, and manages public resources.
He highlighted the need for:
Stronger private sector participation
Improved investment policies
Faster implementation of national projects
Better accountability and transparency in public institutions
Greater focus on technology and innovation
The minister also emphasized that Tanzania must build a competitive economy that can attract both local and foreign investors. He added that long-term planning should focus on job creation, youth empowerment, industrialization, and agricultural modernization.
Prof Mkumbo acknowledged that while progress has been made in infrastructure, energy, and economic reforms, more coordinated efforts are needed to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth.
He called on government institutions, the private sector, and citizens to work together to drive meaningful change. According to him, achieving Vision 2050 will require discipline, strategic leadership, and a shift in mindset across all sectors of society.
The Vision 2050 framework is expected to guide Tanzania’s economic and social transformation agenda for the next generation, building on previous development plans while addressing new global challenges.
