Category: The Citizen

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has alleged that between 120 and 150 fraudulent call centres operating from Ukraine are targeting Russian citizens, using communications infrastructure located in Ukraine and what it described as “certain European Union member states.”

In a statement released on Wednesday, the FSB claimed the operations are coordinated from Ukraine and are responsible for a significant share of cyber-enabled financial fraud affecting Russian citizens.

According to the agency, more than 640,000 fraud cases were recorded in Russia during 2025, with reported losses exceeding 360 billion rubles.

The FSB said it had dismantled what it described as an illegal virtual communications network, seizing more than 1,200 SIM boxes, 1,000 modems and mobile phones, as well as 1.2 million SIM cards. Authorities also detained 208 people allegedly linked to the operation.

The agency added that more than 950 criminal investigations have been launched involving allegations of terrorism, fraud, illegal access to computer systems and violations of telecommunications regulations.

According to the FSB, criminal groups have increasingly adopted sophisticated technologies to avoid detection.

These include phone number spoofing, encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram, fake electronic payment systems, artificial intelligence-generated audio, deepfake technology and fraudulent impersonation of government officials, law enforcement agencies and financial institutions.

The agency further alleged that recruiters use Russian-language online platforms to recruit accomplices inside Russia, paying them in cryptocurrency.

Those recruited are allegedly instructed to rent apartments for short periods, install SIM-box equipment connected to large numbers of Russian SIM cards obtained using false identities, and operate the systems through internet providers to facilitate fraudulent calls.

The FSB also claimed that some groups operate across multiple Russian regions using mobile equipment installed in rented vehicles to reduce the risk of detection.

In addition, the security agency alleged that some fraud proceeds are used to finance the Ukrainian Armed Forces, although it did not provide evidence to support the claim.

The FSB further accused Ukrainian intelligence services of targeting relatives of Russian military personnel through extortion and telephone scams, alleging that such activities are intended to undermine morale.

The agency also made a series of allegations linking some call centres to officials and institutions in Ukraine, including claims that operations in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions receive support from local authorities. It also alleged that citizens of European Union countries are increasingly becoming victims of the fraud networks.

The Ukrainian government has not publicly responded to the latest allegations. Independent verification of the FSB’s claims was not immediately available.

Tanzania could be losing up to Sh15 trillion annually through the exclusion of people with disabilities from education and employment, according to analyses based on international research and economic projections.

Experts say the financial cost goes beyond social inequality, representing a major economic challenge that limits productivity, reduces tax revenue and slows the country’s development potential.

Buried inside Tanzania’s Finance Act 2026, approved by the Parliament recently, is a provision most readers will skip past entirely.

Mining counsel and serious investors should read it twice. The Bill amends four separate statutes, namely the Value Added Tax Act, the Income Tax Act, the Excise Duty Act, and the Road and Fuel Tolls Act, each time inserting near-identical language recognising ‘the tax exemption provisions stipulated in Framework Agreements signed between the Government and mining investors, as approved by the Cabinet.’

That repetition is the story. A government does not amend four laws to say the same thing unless the thing was not, in fact, being honoured under any one of them.

For years, the gap between what a Framework Agreement promised and what a mining company could actually claim at the border or against the Tanzania Revenue Authority has been a quiet source of friction.

Framework Agreements are negotiated, cabinet-approved instruments, but VAT and excise exemptions have routinely been refused on the basis that an agreement, however solemnly negotiated, is not itself a Government Notice or an express statutory provision.

The investor had a contract. The tax officer wanted a gazette entry. That is not a technicality, but the difference between a right and a request.

The Finance Act, 2026 closes that gap with unusual precision. A new section 146B of the Excise Duty Act, a parallel Income Tax Act amendment, statutory VAT Act recognition, and the Road and Fuel Tolls Act amendment together mean Framework Agreement exemptions no longer depend on a separate administrative act to take effect.

The contract and the statute now point the same way and that is the difference between an exemption that exists on paper and one that exists at customs.

I say this as someone who has sat on the negotiating side of these instruments. At Shikana, our experience negotiating Framework Agreements on behalf of investors shows precisely this pattern: the clause is rarely the weak point, but implementation is.

A well-drafted stabilisation provision is only as strong as the administrative machinery that honours it, and Tanzania has done something genuinely useful by moving that machinery into primary legislation rather than leaving it to discretionary notice.

Candour requires the other half of the picture. These exemptions apply only during the construction phase, end the moment mineral production begins, and exclude petroleum products entirely.

This is calibrated relief, aimed at the period when capital is being deployed and cash flow is negative: precisely when a stabilisation clause matters most and government revenue forgone is lowest. That is sound design, not generosity.

The day a mine reaches production, the ordinary tax regime resumes, and any commercial model built on extended relief will be wrong.

The Act also introduces a new section 94A of the Tax Administration Act, penalising mining companies that misuse exemptions, transfer exempted goods without the Commissioner’s permission, or use fraud to obtain or benefit from them.

Investors should welcome this rather than fear it. A regime that polices abuse of an exemption is a regime that intends the exemption to mean something.

Loosely administered, unpredictably revoked incentives are the pattern that has cost Tanzania credibility with sophisticated capital before.

Enforcement standing, paired with statutory certainty, is what separates a genuine stabilisation clause from a political promise that survives only until the next budget cycle.

What should sovereign funds, DFIs, and mining houses do with this? First, revisit any Framework Agreement in force or under negotiation and confirm which exemptions now rest on statute rather than administrative discretion; the answer is not uniform across instruments signed at different times.

Second, treat the construction-to-production transition as a contractual event requiring its own compliance plan, not an afterthought; the exemption’s expiry is now as legally precise as its existence.

Third, recognise that this reform is Tanzania signalling it wants Framework Agreements to function as genuine instruments of contractual sanctity, not gestures requiring perpetual re-litigation at the revenue authority’s discretion.

Tanzania has not solved every friction in its mining fiscal architecture with four amendments. It has, however, done something rarer than another incentive announcement: aligned the statute book with the contract.

For an asset class where investor confidence hinges on whether a promise survives contact with the bureaucracy that must implement it, that alignment is worth more than the headline incentive itself.

The next test is whether other sectors negotiating Government Notice-dependent arrangements receive the same legislative treatment, or whether mining remains the exception rather than the template.

A big congratulations to Honourable Minister Anthony Mavunde for bringing this home.

For the owners of some of Dar es Salaam’s most recognisable nightlife establishments, the past two weeks have been anything but entertaining. Element.

Big Joe. Otea Bar. Uncle’s. Tips. Babylon. One after another, 13 bars across Kinondoni District were ordered to close following a crackdown led by the Regional Commissioner and the Kinondoni Municipal Council over persistent noise pollution and licensing violations.

Mozambique President Daniel Chapo is expected to join President Samia Suluhu Hassan in officially opening the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) on June 3, marking the event’s golden jubilee and highlighting growing regional trade and investment cooperation.

The 16-day exhibition, running from June 28 to July 13, celebrates five decades of the DITF as Tanzania’s leading platform for trade promotion, investment, industrialisation and economic diplomacy.

Speaking after inspecting exhibition pavilions ahead of the official opening, Minister for Industry and Trade Judith Kapinga said this year’s fair has attracted about 3,722 exhibitors from 23 countries, making it one of the most internationally diverse editions in recent years.

She said the high level of participation reflects growing confidence in Tanzania’s economy, investment climate and business environment.

Exhibitors are showcasing products and services across manufacturing, agribusiness, technology and the services sector, with strong emphasis on innovation, entrepreneurship and value addition.

Government empowerment programmes for women and youth are also prominently featured, with participants displaying value-added products developed through access to finance, training and business support initiatives.

Ms Kapinga said the fair continues to serve as both a business marketplace and a knowledge-sharing platform, strengthening value-chain linkages and creating new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.

To accommodate rising participation, the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade) has upgraded infrastructure at the exhibition grounds, including expanded parking areas, improved internal roads and enhanced water and electricity services.

The authority has also introduced digital solutions to improve efficiency and visitor experience, including a mobile wayfinding system and the TanTrade Biashara App, which enables online ticket purchases and access to exhibitor and event information.

As part of the golden jubilee celebrations, TanTrade will host a special awards gala on July 6 to recognise individuals and institutions that have contributed to the growth of the trade fair over the past 50 years.

The gala will be officiated by Vice-President Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi.

Google has exceeded a five-year target to invest $1 billion in Africa, it said on Wednesday, ?as it made public initiatives on infrastructure and development AI to accelerate the continent’s digital growth.

They follow on from Google’s launch of a cloud for the Johannesburg region in 2025.

Here are ?the details of the new initiatives that Google, ?owned by Alphabet, announced at the first Africa Cloud ?Summit in Johannesburg.

Google will establish a connectivity hub in South ?Africa’s Eastern Cape, the first of four planned connectivity hubs ?on the continent.

The facility will link Africa to Australia via the Umoja subsea cable and to India through a new route, strengthening internet ?resilience and capacity.

Africa’s first applied AI lab in Ghana will ?pair local startups with Google researchers and provide early access to its ?models.

A more than $1 million programme in partnership with UK actor Idris Elba’s Akuna Group will train underrepresented creators in AI-driven storytelling.

Google’s Economic and Community Development programme and WeThinkCode have committed ?to build a ?3 million ?rand ($183,468) digital innovation centre in Soweto, Johannesburg.

Google also said its startup accelerator programme will back ?15 South African firms as part of Google’s ?pledge ?to back 50 African ventures between 2024 and 2028.

“The AI opportunity for Africa is significant, and Google is committed to doing ?our ?part working with Africans to help Africa ?realise it,” James Manyika, Google’s senior vice president for research and technology, ?told reporters.

Energy Tanzania has been recognised as the country’s best taxpayer in the category of Best Wet Cargo Importer, after receiving the Presidential Best Taxpayer Award during celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).

The award was presented during the inaugural Presidential Awards ceremony for outstanding taxpayers, an event that brought together leading taxpayers from all 35 regions of Tanzania to promote tax compliance and recognise contributions to national development.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan officiated at the ceremony and presented awards to top-performing taxpayers through the TRA, while Puma Energy Tanzania’s award was handed over by Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi.

The recognition highlights Puma Energy Tanzania’s position as one of the country’s largest and most compliant taxpayers, reflecting its longstanding contribution to Tanzania’s economy through tax payments, government dividends and investments in the energy sector.

Speaking after receiving the award, Puma Energy Tanzania Managing Director Fatma Abdallah described the recognition as a testament to the company’s commitment to accountability, integrity and compliance with the country’s laws.

“This award is a great honour to us and gives us the strength to continue carrying out our responsibilities effectively. It is the result of our employees’ collective efforts, our strong collaboration with the Government, and our commitment to conducting business with transparency and in accordance with the country’s laws,” she said.

She added that the company views tax compliance as a critical contribution to building a strong economy and improving social services for Tanzanians.

“We believe that paying taxes is a vital contribution to building a strong economy and improving social services for Tanzanians. This award motivates us to continue being at the forefront of supporting Government efforts to increase domestic revenue through timely tax payment, sustainable investment and the expansion of energy services that drive economic growth and development across various productive sectors,” Ms Abdallah said.

According to the company, Puma Energy Tanzania has contributed more than Sh1.4 trillion in taxes and other government levies over the past three years, maintaining a strong record of compliance and earning continued recognition from the TRA for its contribution to domestic revenue collection.

The company said the recognition reflects its commitment to supporting national economic growth, promoting voluntary tax compliance and strengthening its partnership with the Government in implementing Tanzania’s development agenda.

Puma Energy Tanzania currently operates a network of more than 100 fuel service stations across the country, alongside a major fuel storage terminal and several fuel depots.

The company also supplies aviation fuel to eight airports, including all international airports in Tanzania, and has continued to expand its investments in cleaner energy solutions.

Among its key projects is Africa’s largest Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Mother Station, as well as a growing network of CNG stations in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro.

In addition, Puma Energy Tanzania has expanded access to clean cooking energy through its Puma Gas business, while its lubricants division and Shop Express retail outlets continue to provide products and services to consumers nationwide.

The Presidential Best Taxpayer Awards were introduced to recognise taxpayers who have demonstrated exceptional compliance and made significant contributions to government revenue mobilisation and national development.

Medical researchers have been challenged to unlock the country’s vast wealth of traditional medicinal knowledge through rigorous scientific research, a move experts say could expand treatment options, strengthen the healthcare system and accelerate the country’s journey towards universal health coverage (UHC).

The call was made by the minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, while officially opening the three-day 14th MUHAS Scientific Conference yesterday.

Mkalama district council in Singida region disbursed more than Sh500 million in interest-free loans to women, youth and people with disabilities during the 2025/26 financial year, as the district also recorded a sharp rise in agricultural production and expanded investment in key public services.

Presenting the council’s one-year performance report, Mkalama district executive director Hajjat Asia Messos said the statutory 10 percent loans had strengthened entrepreneurship and household incomes while complementing wider government efforts to improve livelihoods.

“We have continued to empower wananchi economically by providing the statutory 10 percent loans while bringing these services closer to communities through the Mkalama Asilimia Kumi (MAK) mobile clinic. We are also equipping beneficiaries with entrepreneurship skills so they can establish sustainable businesses,” she said.

The council disbursed Sh500.6 million to 52 groups, with 24 women’s groups receiving Sh208 million, 19 youth groups Sh259.8 million, and nine groups of people with disabilities Sh32.8 million.

To improve access to the loans, the council launched the MAK mobile clinic, which conducted outreach across all 17 wards and 70 villages. The initiative also reached millions through the district’s social media platforms, while 289 loan beneficiaries received entrepreneurship and business management training.

Alongside the empowerment programme, the district recorded remarkable growth in agriculture, with food crop production increasing from 116,948 tonnes in the 2024/25 season to 354,438 tonnes in 2025/26. Cash crop production also rose from 44,796 tonnes to 50,471 tonnes.

Ms Messos attributed the increase to the recruitment of more agricultural extension officers, whose number rose from 16 to 47, wider use of improved seeds and subsidised fertiliser, and improved market access through the warehouse receipt system.

The council distributed subsidised agricultural inputs worth Sh9.49 billion during the year. Farmers selling lentils through the warehouse receipt system earned more than Sh8.14 billion, while the council collected Sh246.7 million in produce levy revenue.

“Agriculture remains the backbone of our district’s economy. Increased extension services, government input subsidies and improved market systems have enabled farmers to increase production and incomes,” she said.

The district also recorded growth in private investment, with the number of investors increasing from six to nine in sectors including mining, energy, agriculture and livestock, creating both permanent and temporary employment opportunities.

In education, the council constructed four new schools worth Sh1.3 billion and invested another Sh305 million in classrooms, laboratories and a dormitory. The number of Advanced Level secondary schools doubled from three to six, while the Form Four pass rate improved from 97.89 percent to 97.91 percent.

Health services also expanded through the construction of four dispensaries and a health centre, alongside improvements to existing facilities costing Sh719.1 million. Medicine availability increased from 92 percent to 93.8 percent, while more than 5,500 elderly people and 15,600 children under five received free healthcare services during the year.

Looking ahead to the 2026/27 financial year, Ms Messos said the council would prioritise completion of the district hospital, expansion of education infrastructure and continued investment in economic empowerment, agriculture and public service delivery.

“As we begin implementing the National Development Vision 2050, we call upon all public servants to increase efficiency, innovation and accountability so that we can accelerate development and improve the welfare of our people,” she said.

The government has announced that it will restart the proposed Sinza Redevelopment Plan after residents raised concerns over inadequate public participation and uncertainty surrounding land ownership and property rights.

The decision, announced by the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Dr Leonard Akwilapo, marks a significant shift in the implementation of one of Dar es Salaam’s major urban redevelopment initiatives.