Briefing Paper

The Investment Climate in Tanzania: Views of Business Executives

“This brief presents findings from the Executive Opinion Survey 2009, a core input of the Global Competetiveness Report 2009-10 produced by the World Economic Forum. The
findings indicate that general security for businesses in Tanzania is good, well ahead of
other countries in the East African Community (EAC). However, government administrative requirements and customs procedures are still viewed by firms as cumbersome and inefficient, and the low level of infrastructure development continues to be a major constraint to doing business. Overall, the evidence points to the need for increased strategic efforts to enhance the investment climate for businesses in Tanzania. In particular, transport infrastructure, electricity supply and the efficiency of customs procedures need to be significantly improved to bring down business costs to attract investors and fully exploit Tanzania’s comparative advantages to drive economic growth.”