DODOMA: THE government has set aside more than 1tri/- in public procurement tenders to empower special groups across the country, enabling them to participate in major development projects and improve their economic well being.
Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Public Relations and Communications Manager, Ms Remija Salvatory, said the government recognises the importance of involving persons with disabilities in economic activities, hence introducing special preference for them in public procurement processes.
Speaking over the weekend in Dodoma during a forum on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in economic opportunities, Ms Remija said PPRA’s mandate includes ensuring that the procurement of goods, services and construction works is conducted transparently, fairly and in the public interest, while safeguarding opportunities for marginalised groups.
“Our goal is to ensure that special groups access procurement opportunities as provided under the Public Procurement Act, 2023. PPRA continues to build their capacity through training and we have recently provided specialised tools to help them track tenders. Today, we are adding more education to enable them to seize these opportunities,” she said.
She stressed that the law requires procuring entities to allocate at least 30 per cent of their procurement budget to special groups and PPRA is closely monitoring compliance with this requirement.
According to her, tenders worth about 24bn/- have already been awarded to special groups through the NeST electronic procurement system, though the number of beneficiaries remains low.
“So far, only 1,000 special groups are registered on NeST, yet our target for the 2025/26 financial year is 20,000. We encourage persons with disabilities to form groups of five to 20 members and register with their local authorities, who will recognise them as eligible for government business,” she said.
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Earlier, an official from the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament, Coordination and Persons with Disabilities), Mr Bruno Mwakibibi, called on council executives to collect accurate data on persons with disabilities to integrate them into the national identification system, which will ease their access to essential services.
“There are cases where persons with hearing impairments visit police stations or courts but fail to get proper support due to communication barriers. With proper identification, it becomes easier for them to access services,” he said.
He urged community members to help identify persons with disabilities and ensure they are registered, while local government leaders were reminded to include them fully in development activities.
Tanzania Federation of Disabled People’s Organisations (SHIVYAWATA) Dodoma Regional Secretary, Mr Justus Ng’antalima, said the forum will open the eyes of entrepreneurs with disabilities by helping them understand economic opportunities around them and position themselves competitively.
He said the forum also equips them with knowledge of government procurement needs, enabling them to prepare goods and services that meet the standards required by procuring entities through the NeST system.