MWE Correspondent
President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, has set a national target for the country to achieve 80 percent self-sufficiency in domestic pharmaceutical production by 2030, directing new health sector leadership to fast-track investment and remove barriers facing manufacturers.
Speaking at State House in Dar es Salaam on February 9, 2026, while issuing official instructions to the newly appointed Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health responsible for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, Emmanuel Tayari, the President said the medicines sector is strategic and requires close supervision and decisive reforms.
Dr. Samia instructed the official to closely oversee investments in local drug manufacturing industries and eliminate land access bottlenecks and monopoly practices that discourage investors. She said performance measurement for the office would include ensuring that at least 70 percent of medicines that can be produced locally are manufactured within the country.
The remarks were delivered during a swearing-in ceremony for various leaders recently appointed to senior government posts at State House. The President urged Tayari to ignore peripheral criticism and social media speculation and instead focus on attracting investors and strengthening domestic production capacity.
She said the appointment was based on confidence in his ability to manage the sensitive portfolio and called on the Ministry of Health to ensure a more investor-friendly environment so that by 2030 Tanzania becomes a pharmaceutical production hub for the East and Central African region, reducing foreign exchange spending on imported medicines.
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In the same ceremony, Dr. Samia also offered strong guidance to newly appointed ambassador Major General Marco Elisha Gaguti, stressing that diplomatic office carries the image and dignity of the entire nation.
She directed the new envoy to undergo short specialized diplomatic training before being assigned to a foreign posting. In light remarks, the President noted that diplomacy requires restraint, protocol discipline, and polite responses even under provocation, adding humorously that she sometimes speaks bluntly when provoked but relies on her diplomatic aides to smooth tensions afterward.
Additionally, the President swore in Ambassador Waziri Rajab Salum as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Addressing public comments surrounding the appointment, Dr. Samia dismissed criticism and said the selection was based on merit and proven performance.
She urged the new Permanent Secretary to intensify efforts to expand the industrial sector by increasing the number of factories and driving broader economic growth. The President said leadership development involves assigning greater responsibilities and expects measurable results in industrial expansion under the new office holder.
The appointments form part of the government’s broader push to accelerate industrialization, investment, and strategic sector growth.
