Tanzania Implements Policy to Encourage Local Pharmaceutical Production Through Quick Investment Approvals

Posted on : Tuesday , 6th January 2026

On December 23, 2025 the statement was made during a high-level conference attended by pharmaceutical companies along with healthcare industry stakeholders.

According to Health Minister Mohamed Mchengerwa, the growth of pharmaceutical manufacture is no longer a long-term goal but rather a verified national policy objective.

According to him, Tanzania's health security plan will give priority to domestic production that conforms to globally accepted quality standards, specifically World Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO-GMP).

The Minister noted that Tanzania exported less than USD 1 million in pharmaceutical items in 2023, whereas Kenya sold more over USD 140 million. He claimed that Tanzania's poor participation in pharmaceuticals exports is related to compliance with standards rather than market access.

The Pharmaceutical Investment Acceleration Taskforce (PIAT), an inter-institutional group tasked with coordinating and expediting decisions pertaining to license, land access, regulation, utilities, finance and public procurement was also established by the government.

The Ministry of Health claims that the changes are meant to cut down on administrative hold-ups and give investors speedy and consistent approval procedures.  

"The development of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Tanzania is not an experiment, it is a strategic direction that has already been decided by the Government," Minister Mchengerwa stated in response to the proposal. WHO-GMP is a passport to the international pharmaceutical market, not a luxury or a decorative accreditation. For the simple reason that production is local, we will not defend it. Production that satisfies international standards will be safeguarded.

An Expression of Interest (EOI) has been released by the government, seeking both domestic and foreign investors to build pharmaceutical and health product manufacturing plants in Tanzania.  

Markets in East Africa, the Southern African Development Community and other parts of Africa are the focus of the effort.  

The EOI aims to speed adherence to WHO-GMP and other international standards, encourage collaboration and technology transfer and attract both domestic and foreign investment.