The Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (the “Ministry”) on 28 September 2018 gave thirty (30) days to all Non-Governmental Organisations (“NGOs”) in Tanzania to submit reports on their financial expenditure for the years 2016 and 2017. The Ministry has on 31 October further extended the time frame for submission by another fourteen (14) days from that date.

The Ministry has ordered NGOs to comply as follows:

  1. To submit to the Registrar of NGOs (the “Registrar”) audited financial statements for the past two (2) years (2016 and 2017), while preparing to submit the report of 2018 at the end of this calendar year;
  2. To submit information of their financial sources, their expenditure, projects implemented and expected to be implemented for the relevant period;
  3. To submit to the Registrar their contracts or agreements entered into with the donor(s) for the relevant period to date;
  4. To ensure that the projects they implement focus on governmental priorities, programs and strategies of the Government of Tanzania in order to contribute sustainable development for the benefit of the community and the country;
  5. To ensure that before implementing their projects they must contact the Registrar in order to obtain permits for implementation and monitoring their activities at various levels;
  6. International Non-Governmental Organisations must take into consideration the involvement of citizens and local NGO’s in their projects in accordance with the laws of the country; and
  7. All NGO’s registered under other laws other than the Non-Governmental Organisations Act 2002 should apply for a certificate of a compliance.

All NGO’s must send their annual financial statements and project reports to the following email address: dngo@communitydevelopment.go.tz; or submit their information directly to the Registrar’s office.

Where NGO’s are not compliant with the foregoing after the date for compliance, such NGO’s shall have legal action taken against them which may include cancellation of registration of the NGO.

If you have any questions regarding this legal update, please contact Amish Shah on aks@arslaw.co.tz or Margareth Fabian on mf@arslaw.co.tz.