Dar es Salaam, Tanzania — A senior lawmaker has urged the government to overhaul the land sector, warning that obsolete procedures are cutting hundreds of billions of shillings from annual revenue and leaving many citizens without formal ownership papers. Florent Kyombo, who heads the parliamentary committee on regional administration, told lawmakers that unpaid land taxes and slow surveying have widened the gap between budget targets and collections that now fund a cash-based budget. Official statements indicate the Ministry of Lands collected 146 billion shillings last year against a 250 billion target, while an internal estimate put the price of full modernization at 291 billion.
Kyombo said that most taxes — including levies for surveys and the separate “land service charge”—are paid only when owners feel like complying. Without firm enforcement, arrears accumulate even as the ministry lacks the staff and mapping tools needed to complete title processing. He added that roughly two million plots remain unsurveyed, blocking farmers and businesses from using land as collateral.
The MP contrasted the situation with Ethiopia, where recent legal reforms require officials to suspend or revoke usage rights if rent is not settled, a step he said has lifted collection rates across federal and regional governments. Kyombo argued Tanzania should give its lands minister similar collection powers, a change he believes could raise several hundred billion shillings a year for local development. Government benches welcomed the discussion but have yet to outline a detailed response.
Officials have not commented on whether they will introduce a new enforcement bill during the current session. Kyombo ended his address by urging Treasury planners to pair any future land levy increases with measurable improvements in certificate delivery, noting that steady titles remain out of reach for many rural holders. Further details are expected when the ministry releases its budget proposal later this month.
