Dar es Salaam. The government has directed all public and private institutions to adopt the national residential addressing system in a bid to improve service delivery and support the country’s transition to a digital economy.
The directive was issued by the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Ms Angellah Kairuki, who represented the Prime Minister during National Addressing Week celebrations held under the theme Smart addressing and innovation in postal services for inclusive growth.
Ms Kairuki also instructed the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (Tamisemi) to establish clear procedures to ensure effective implementation of the system across sectors.
She said local government authorities have been tasked with collecting accurate residents’ data and installing street names to facilitate the development of reliable addressing databases. “To ensure efficient service delivery, systems must be built on accurate data,” she said.
She added that postal agents and the ministry had been directed to procure vehicles to improve the transportation and delivery of services to citizens.
According to the minister, the residential addressing system has simplified the delivery of both public and private services and has attracted interest from other countries seeking to learn from Tanzania’s experience.
She said the project, implemented by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in line with the 2003 Postal Policy, is a key tool in enhancing access to services, promoting e-commerce and strengthening security.
The system is also considered a critical pillar in the implementation of Vision 2050, which aims to build a knowledge- and technology-driven economy supported by reliable transport infrastructure and robust data systems.
“Knowing exactly where people live makes it easier to plan, deliver services and respond during emergencies,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Mohammed Abdullah, said the government would continue coordinating the residential addressing fund to ensure the system’s sustainability.
He noted that quality service delivery depends on a conducive environment and strong systems, adding that the number of registered residential addresses has reached 12.9 million. Mr Abdullah said the system has been integrated with other government platforms and plays an important role in advancing the digital economy.
“We are working with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. The entire country has been mapped, and we will soon launch a tourism application to support the sector,” he said.
Several institutions have already begun using residential address data, with banks and the Higher Education Students’ Loans Board expected to start relying on the system to verify customers and beneficiaries from tomorrow.
The government has also stressed the need to train couriers on proper handling and transportation of parcels, alongside capacity-building for public officials involved in managing the system.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State in the Office of the Second Vice President of Zanzibar for Policy, Coordination and the House of Representatives, Mr Hamza Hassan Juma, said the population and housing census, together with the address census, has made it easier to locate citizens nationwide.
He acknowledged that initial resistance from some members of the public stemmed from limited awareness but said acceptance improved following education campaigns.
“Services are now reaching people where they live. Although not everyone has been covered yet, both governments are continuing efforts to ensure all citizens benefit,” he said.
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