He stressed that PPPs are critical to mobilising the $185 billion Tanzania requires over the next five years and also to ensuring shared prosperity
New York. Vice President, Dr Philip Mpango, has urged stronger collaboration between government and private investors, underscoring public–private partnerships (PPPs) as central to unlocking the country’s vast economic potential.
Dr Mpango made the remarks on Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Tanzania–U.S. Business and Investment Forum, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
He stressed that PPPs are critical not only to mobilising the $185 billion Tanzania requires over the next five years, but also to ensuring shared prosperity between Tanzanians and American businesses.
“The private sector is a key partner in our development efforts,” he said, noting that Tanzania has reformed its investment framework to create a more enabling environment for PPPs across energy, transport, healthcare, and digital industries.
Dr Mpango highlighted several priority areas where PPPs could deliver mutual benefits.
In infrastructure, he cited Tanzania’s 2,561 km Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), largely financed through PPPs, which will connect the country to regional markets of more than 300 million consumers.
“A factory in Tanzania can easily serve East and Central Africa,” he said, adding that Special Economic Zones (SEZs), linked to ports and powered by renewable energy, are ripe for joint investment.
He further pointed to critical minerals and green energy, noting that Tanzania, with world-class deposits of graphite, nickel, and lithium, seeks U.S. partners not only in extraction, but in value-addition through PPPs in processing, battery production, and clean-energy industrial parks.
On the digital economy, Dr Mpango said rapid internet penetration and mobile money adoption position Tanzania as an emerging hub for fintech and digital services.
“PPPs with companies like Visa, already operating an innovation hub in Dar es Salaam, can help expand innovation ecosystems,” he observed.
In agriculture, where only 24 percent of arable land is cultivated, Tanzania is courting PPPs in precision farming, drone technologies, AI-driven agriculture, and agro-processing value chains to help meet Africa’s and the world’s rising food demand.
On healthcare, the Vice President said Tanzania is inviting American pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies to establish local manufacturing under PPPs, reducing Africa’s dependency on imported medicines.
PPP-friendly environment
Dr Mpango also outlined reforms to make Tanzania a premier PPP destination, hinting that business registration has been cut from 14 days to 24 hours, while investment permits are now issued within hours at a one-stop facilitation centre.
The government is also investing in education and skills development to ensure PPP projects have access to a capable workforce.
“Tanzania has remained politically stable for 60 years. Our infrastructure is transforming rapidly, and companies already operating in Tanzania are recording 20–30 percent returns. This is the right time for U.S. businesses to enter through structured partnerships,” he said.
With the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) set to expire within days, Dr Mpango argued that its renewal would be strategic for both the U.S. and Africa. He urged American investors to act quickly, warning that while “some are still analysing, competitors from other regions are already acting.”
The Vice President reaffirmed that both the Union and the Zanzibar governments are committed to PPP-driven, private sector-led growth, “Karibu Tanzania. Be our valued partners in unleashing the great potential of our country.”
