Tanzania Missed 2026 US Fiscal Transparency Standard, Made Progress

Tanzania was among 67 of 139 governments that did not meet the minimum requirements for fiscal transparency under the US Department of State’s 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report (FTR), released on 11 August 2026.

The report also named Tanzania one of 14 governments that made significant progress toward meeting those requirements during the review period.

The FTR is a congressionally mandated annual review carried out under Section 7031(b)(2) of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026.

It assesses the fiscal transparency of the 139 governments and one entity, the Palestinian Authority, first identified in the 2014 Fiscal Transparency Report, covering the review period of 1 January to 31 December 2025.

The Department based its findings on information gathered from US embassies and consulates, other US government agencies, international organizations, and civil society organizations.

The Department frames fiscal transparency as a core element of effective public financial management that builds market confidence, underpins economic stability, and creates more competitive business conditions for US firms operating abroad.

The Department found that 73 of the 139 governments and the one entity assessed met the minimum fiscal transparency requirements, while the remaining 67 fell short of the standard.

Of those 67 governments, 14 were recognized for making significant progress toward the requirements, while the other 53 made no significant progress.

To meet the minimum requirements, a government’s key budget documents must be publicly available within a reasonable period, substantially complete, and generally reliable.

Assessors also examine whether governments follow a transparent process for awarding government contracts, licenses, and public procurement contracts, and whether they disclose information on government debt and natural resource extraction awards.

For 2026, the Department strengthened its criteria by requiring governments to make publicly available the terms and conditions of sovereign loans to foreign borrowers, including liabilities and collateralized assets, a change intended to counter predatory lending practices by making the terms of sovereign borrowing visible to investors and the public.

Across East Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda met the minimum fiscal transparency requirements, joining South Africa, Ghana, and Mauritius on the list of compliant governments.

Tanzania was assessed alongside Burundi, Somalia, and South Sudan among the East African governments that did not meet the minimum standard, though Tanzania was distinguished from most regional peers by its recognition for significant progress.

Under the Department’s 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report, covering the prior review cycle, Tanzania made its enacted budget and end of year financial report available online but did not publish a full executive budget proposal in advance of parliamentary approval.

That assessment found the government’s debt obligations were disclosed online and that Tanzania’s supreme audit institution met international standards of independence, reviewing government accounts and publishing its reports within a reasonable period.

The main gaps identified were the government’s failure to subject military and intelligence budgets to parliamentary or civilian oversight and its failure to publish information on public procurement contracts.

The Department has cautioned that a government’s failure to meet the minimum fiscal transparency requirements does not necessarily indicate that the government engages in significant corruption.

Separately, Tanzania’s Open Budget Survey score has risen by at least 10 points between 2012 and 2023, placing it among only 10 African countries to record that scale of improvement in budget transparency over the period, according to the African Development Bank.