Tanzania looks to attract investors for Msasani and Sinza redevelopment in Dar

The proposed budget includes Sh110.03 billion for development expenditure, while the remaining amount will finance recurrent expenditure. The allocation marks an increase from the Sh153.44 billion approved for the ministry in the 2025/26 financial year.

Dr Akwilapo said the 2000 National Human Settlements Development Policy encourages redevelopment of deteriorating settlements through provision of infrastructure and social services to improve urban landscapes and expand economic opportunities.

He said the ministry had already identified 111 degraded areas covering 24,309.3 hectares across 35 councils nationwide for redevelopment. According to him, redevelopment activities had started in the Makangira-Msasani area in Kinondoni Municipality, covering 17.2 hectares, where authorities had completed data collection and identification of residents’ land ownership.

The exercise, he said, would help establish the actual living conditions of residents, the value of existing assets, citizens’ expectations and mechanisms for redistribution of redeveloped properties.

“In 2026/27, the ministry will begin land planning and surveying while also searching for qualified investors with the capacity to develop the area,” he told Parliament.

Dr Akwilapo also said the ministry had completed a draft redevelopment plan for Sinza in Ubungo Municipality and that consultations with residents and stakeholders were ongoing.

The Sinza redevelopment plan seeks to increase the value of investments through mixed-use developments and allow building heights ranging from two to 20 floors depending on land carrying capacity.

“I call upon citizens and the private sector to seize the opportunities available in these areas and participate fully in implementation of these plans for the long-term benefit of citizens and the nation as a whole,” Dr Akwilapo said. He assured residents that no land would be confiscated by the government during implementation of the projects.

Meanwhile, the minister said the government was continuing to implement various strategies aimed at making Tanzania more attractive to investors from the perspective of land accessibility and service delivery.

He noted that the ministry continued to identify, reserve and allocate land for investment through master plans, land surveying projects and repossessed farms.

According to him, the National Land Allocation Committee approved 333 applications for investment land covering 45,371.24 hectares between July 2025 and May 15, 2026.

Of the approved applications, 81 covering 5,802.14 hectares belonged to local investors while 252 applications covering 39,569.10 hectares were allocated to foreign investors.

The ministry had initially targeted allocation of 5,000 hectares for investment during 2025/26 and plans to allocate another 5,000 hectares in 2026/27.

To improve efficiency in handling investment-related land matters, Dr Akwilapo said the ministry had established a dedicated land office within the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA).

He added that new land offices had also been established in Dodoma, Dar es Salaam and Mwanza regions, each now having two assistant land commissioners to improve delivery of land services closer to citizens.

The minister also warned landowners against leaving allocated land undeveloped contrary to ownership conditions.

He said inspections conducted on 2,503 plots and farms revealed that 932 owners had violated ownership conditions, prompting cancellation of 15 land titles while legal action was continuing against 917 owners.

“I urge all landowners to develop their land in accordance with ownership conditions in order to avoid government revocation of those titles,” he said.

Meanwhile, the government said it continued implementing housing development programmes through the National Housing Corporation (NHC), including the Sh466 billion Samia Housing Scheme targeting construction of 5,000 housing units nationwide.

By May 15, 2026, a total of 628 houses had been completed under the scheme, including 68 residential houses in Iyumbu, Dodoma.

The minister said the government, through the Tanzania Mortgage Refinance Company (TMRC), had facilitated disbursement of Sh720.81 billion in long-term housing loans to 5,802 beneficiaries through 29 financial institutions.

Dr Akwilapo further revealed that Tanzania was continuing with efforts to secure an extension of its continental shelf beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone.

He said the country had already defended its submission before the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in New York and that an improved submission would be presented in July this year.

On revenue collection, the minister said the ministry had collected Sh191.9 billion by May 15, 2026, equivalent to 66.17 percent of its annual target of Sh290 billion from land rent, fees and levies.

For the 2026/27 financial year, the ministry targets collecting Sh300 billion through expanded ICT systems, stricter enforcement measures against defaulters and improved delivery of land services across the country.