Finance and Planning minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba, availed this move wen tabling national budget estimates for fiscal 2023/24 in the legislature on Thursday,
He said the agencies include the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Youth, Employment and Disability), the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, the National Identification Authority (NIDA), and theTanzania Immigration Department.
Others are the Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA), the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) and the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS).
Still others set to be included in TelW are the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA), the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), the Tanzania Electric Supply Co. Ltd (TANESCO) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The TeIW system will benefit investors for online registration of businesses without necessarily meeting the respective service providers in office, receive required services quickly and obtain investment permits within three days, he said.
Investors have been struggling to access smooth services in the regulatory authorities and related institutions due to various challenges that the government is working to solve, he stated.
“To address bureaucratic red tape that traders and investors face, I propose regulatory institutions to start using a single window payments system for collection of fees, levies and penalties,” he told MPs, referring to the need to establish inspection procedures to facilitate business without negating core regulatory functions.
With effect from July 1, 2023, regulatory authorities will be prohibited from suspending business operations in view of alleged violation of various requirements, he said.
He referred to an emerging tendency for regulatory authorities to suspend business, offices or factories after conducting inspections and attesting to breach of regulations.
“For whatever reason, suspending businesses has an adverse impact on our economy as it affects employment, business prosperity and government revenues,” he declared, emphasizing that this tendency is contrary to efforts by President SamiaSuluhu Hassan to improve the business environment.
Despite that investors bring capital, technology, employment, increase government revenue and promote economic growth, experience shows that they still face obstacles rather than facilitation from public institutions, he said.
Some responsible officials become obstacles, slowing the pace of investment by foreigners instead of unlocking the potential that foreign investmentharbours,” he stated.
“We devote more effort in controlling rather than facilitating private sector development,” the minister admonished, underlining that it is vital to acknowledge private sector contribution in creating employment opportunities, poverty eradication and economic growth.
“I urge my fellow Tanzanians to facilitate the growth of the private sector,” he appealed, proposing amendments to various laws, rules and regulations to take legal action against a business owner instead of suspending business operations.
The shift aims at protecting employment, business income and boosting the economy, which increases government revenues, he stated.
Clearing and forwarding of cargo at the port has procedures that restricts the importer from clearing cargo when assessed tax is disputed, which discourages business and usage of the port of Dar es Salaam Port as a business gateway in the East and Central Africa region, he said.
“To overcome these shortcomings, I propose the introduction of a procedure that will enable importers of goods with objections to the assessed tax to pay undisputed tax and release the goods.
“In addition, a special procedure will be introduced under the East African Customs Law that will protect government revenue and enable businesses to operate,” he stated.
However, if the disputed amount is found to be in favour of the government, “a businessman will be subjected to pay the delayed taxes, fines, jail time or both,” he cautioned.
