Dar es Salaam. 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.
Research by the World Bank and the International Labour Organization has shown that excluding persons with disabilities from economic activities can cost countries between three and seven percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) annually.
The losses stem from reduced labour productivity, lower tax contributions and wider social costs borne by families and governments.
When those estimates are applied to Tanzania’s economy, the figures become significant.
According to projections in the Education Sector Development Plan, Tanzania’s economy is expected to reach around Sh234 trillion by 2025.
Based on global estimates, a three percent loss would amount to approximately Sh7 trillion annually, while a seven percent loss could reach more than Sh16 trillion.
Finance and development expert Mr Peter Letema said the figures represented a substantial economic loss for a country seeking to accelerate growth and improve living standards.
“For an economy such as Tanzania’s, this is a huge amount of money that could have been used to increase production and improve people's welfare,” he told The Citizen.
He said the country was effectively losing an amount equivalent to several years of the national education budget because of barriers that prevent many people with disabilities from developing and utilising their full potential.
“This is not simply about financial resources. It begins with the failure to identify and nurture people's abilities from childhood, particularly children with disabilities,” he said.
The challenge is reflected within the education system. Although Tanzania has recorded progress in school enrolment, children with disabilities remain more likely to drop out of school.
Data indicate that primary school completion rates among children with disabilities stand at 49 percent compared with 83 percent among children without disabilities.
Experts attribute this to limited inclusive infrastructure and shortages of specialised teaching staff.
Currently, about 2,000 primary school teachers nationwide are trained to support pupils with visual or hearing impairments.
The impact continues into the labour market. Persons with disabilities account for only 0.2 percent of the formal workforce in Tanzania Mainland despite the Persons with Disabilities Act requiring large institutions to reserve three percent of jobs for people with disabilities.
Social development expert Dr Mutashi Jordan said exclusion often creates a cycle of disadvantage.
“A lack of education can lead to unemployment, which then contributes to persistent poverty,” he said.
He added that households headed by persons with disabilities are more likely to fall below the poverty line than other households.
Experts say that as Tanzania expands schools and other public infrastructure, integrating disability-friendly facilities should become a development priority rather than being treated solely as a social welfare issue.
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