Public Procurement Regulations of 2024.

These Regulations, comprising 362 Sections, govern the sustainable supply chain management for the procurement of goods, construction works, services, and the disposal of assets. They mandate that procuring entities consider environmental conservation principles throughout the supply chain, including assessing environmental impacts during the initial design and planning stages of a project, even before the procurement process begins. These new Regulations repeal the 2013 regulations and introduce several key changes (i) Mandatory Electronic Procurement: The use of the new electronic procurement system is now mandatory for all procurement activities, from planning to contract management; (ii) Strengthened Local Preference: The regulations strengthen the preference for local businesses and products, establishing preferential treatment for Tanzanian-owned companies with a specific tender limit; (iii) Support for Special Groups: They explicitly introduce preferential treatment schemes for special groups such as women, youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Procuring entities must now allocate a certain percentage of their annual procurement volume to these businesses; (iv) Value for Money: The concept of "value for money" is introduced, entrusting contract management to both the accounting officer and the user department; (v) New Procurement Methods: The Regulations detail procedures for emergency procurement with specific requirements and retrospective approvals. A new method, "fixed budget tendering," is also introduced, where bids exceeding a predetermined budget are automatically rejected; (vi) Accelerated Timelines: The timelines for some procurement procedures have been shortened, which helps to accelerate the entire process.
The new Regulations require that environmental conservation be a core consideration throughout the entire procurement process. This includes assessing environmental impacts during a project's initial planning, incorporating environmental protection clauses into all contracts, ensuring that supply chain management (including the storage and handling of goods) is done without harming living organisms, and verifying that the use and disposal of all products align with environmental principles.
The Regulations introduce specific measures for food procurement at schools, training institutions, hospitals, and prisons. The food safety agency, in collaboration with the relevant ministries (Education, Local Government, Health, and Internal Affairs), will issue and oversee food safety standards for these institutions. These entities must (i) comply with the standards when purchasing food; (ii) submit annual estimates of food quantity and costs to the agency; (iii) hold limited competitions among approved suppliers and pay them directly; (iv) follow procedures for receiving goods and keeping records. The Regulations also address food shortages or sudden price increases in the market.