Women, youth, older people and persons with disabilities have been urged to take advantage of the government’s 30 percent public procurement allocation, with authorities warning that inadequate preparedness and limited awareness of procurement rights could prevent eligible groups from benefiting.
The call was made on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, by Lindi Municipal Council acting head of community development, Ms Alusaria Mushi, who represented Regional Commissioner Adam Malima.
Ms Mushi was speaking during a conference on industry, investment, technology and innovation for special groups from the Southern Zone. In a statement shared with The Citizen, Ms Mushi said the government had created opportunities for special groups to participate in public procurement, but urged beneficiaries to be better prepared to compete for tenders.
‘The laws and regulations allow individuals or groups of persons with special needs to access loans under the special groups category,’ she said.
Under Regulation 35(1) of the Public Procurement Regulations, 2025, procuring entities are required to grant an exclusive 30 percent preference in their annual procurement of goods, works and services to eligible special groups within their locality.
The provision covers youth, women, older people and persons with disabilities, creating a dedicated opportunity for these groups to participate in government procurement.
Ms Mushi also called on the Public Procurement Appeals Authority (PPAA) to increase awareness among women, youth, older people and persons with disabilities about their rights during public procurement processes.
Speaking at the conference, PPAA head of appeals management, Ms Violet Limilabo, representing the authority’s executive secretary James Sando, said the authority was continuing to educate tenderers about their rights and responsibilities.
She said digital systems had also simplified the process of lodging procurement complaints and appeals.
‘Currently, PPAA receives and handles complaints and appeals through the Complaints and Appeals Management Module in the National e-Procurement System of Tanzania (NeST),’ said Ms Limilabo.
According to her, the digital system has helped reduce the time and costs associated with complaints and appeals while improving transparency, accountability and record-keeping.