In the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) collected 8.97 trillion shillings, exceeding its target by more than six per cent and recording a 15 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Key technology-driven initiatives, including Electronic Tax Stamps (ETS) and the Fuel Marking Programme, have emerged as central pillars of revenue assurance, providing real-time tracking, data analytics and enhanced enforcement capacity.

The ETS system has evolved into a sophisticated monitoring platform, enabling regulators to track excisable goods from production to retail. Since its introduction, excise revenues from marked products have risen sharply, with a 94.4 per cent increase recorded by 2024/2025.

Similarly, the Fuel Marking Programme has strengthened oversight of the petroleum sector, maintaining compliance levels above 96 per cent while curbing illicit trade, adulteration and tax leakages.

These systems generate valuable data that allow authorities to identify anomalies, target high-risk areas and deploy enforcement resources more efficiently. Consumer-facing tools such as the Hakiki App have further enhanced transparency by enabling the public to verify product authenticity.

Officials say the integration of technology, data and enforcement has reduced counterfeit goods, protected legitimate businesses and ensured fairer market competition.

As a result, digital transformation has become a tangible advantage for Tanzania, boosting revenues, strengthening public trust and securing funding for national priorities such as health, education and infrastructure.

The experience of 2025, authorities say, has demonstrated a clear lesson: when technology and transparency work together, revenue growth follows.

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