Zanzibar adopts digital systems to boost tourism revenue and pension payments

Zanzibar’s tourism sector continues to record strong growth, serving as the island’s main economic driver, with more than 900,000 international arrivals recorded in 2025 and contributing over 29 per cent of GDP.

Speaking during the launch, Mr Soraga said successful implementation of the systems must be guided by the needs of the respective sectors.

He expressed satisfaction that the systems were developed through collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, and the e-Government Authority of Zanzibar (eGAZ).

Mr Soraga urged ministries to embrace digital reforms, warning against resistance to technological change, which he said is critical for improving government efficiency and service delivery.

He said the government’s priority is to advance digital transformation, noting that the systems will ensure timely payment of pensions to the elderly and strengthen revenue collection in the tourism sector.

“Sometimes our institutions develop good initiatives, but they are not well received because they are not properly communicated for citizens to understand. We must therefore have effective strategies to ensure this succeeds,” he said.

He also raised concerns over malpractice within some institutions, including deliberate interference with systems for personal gain, warning that the government will take firm action against those responsible.

“We will take action against any officials who deliberately interfere with systems. It will also be prohibited for ministries to enter into agreements outside approved systems,” he said.

Mr Soraga further directed the e-Government Authority to provide ICT training for public servants to improve efficiency and ensure officers are deployed in roles aligned with their expertise.

For his part, the Director General of the e-Government Authority, Dr Saidi Seif, said the systems are part of the government’s broader agenda to strengthen ICT use in improving service delivery and transparency.

He said ZanExplore is designed to enhance revenue collection, simplify services for tourists and promote Zanzibar internationally.

He said that the PBMS system will ensure timely pension payments, reduce delays caused by human error, and improve transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

Dr Seif said the government will continue strengthening system security and training public servants to ensure effective use of technology in service delivery.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Ms Fatma Mabrouk, said the government is continuing efforts to integrate public institutions into digital systems to improve efficiency and transparency in service delivery.