About the Local Government Finance Working Group

Various central government ministries have policy responsibility over intergovernmental fiscal relations and local government finance in Tanzania Mainland. While the Prime Minister's Office - Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG) is the steward of local government authorities in Mainland Tanzania, the Ministry of Finance is the steward of the country's public finances. The purpose of the inter-ministerial Local Government Finance Working Group is to function as a coordination mechanism between technical-level stakeholders within the central government on issues related to the system of local government finances.

The Local Government Finance Working Group brings together central government stakeholders that are jointly responsible for the successful functioning of the system of local government finances, including the oversight of local budget plans and budget execution, the analysis of local revenue collections, and the development and application of formulas for recurrent and development grants to local government authorities. As such, the Group serves as a platform to exchange information and data, monitor local government finances, and engage in analyses for fiscal decision makers at the national and local levels to inform their decision making.

The Local Government Finance Working Group is chaired by the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, and co-chaired by the Deputy Permanent Secretary, PMO-RALG. Further members of the Group include the Director of Local Government as well as the Assistant Director, LGA Finance (PMO-RALG; Secretariat); the Assistant Budget Commissioner, Regions and Local Government Section (MoF; Vice-Secretary); the Assistant Commissioner for Policy Analysis, Fiscal Policy (MoF); and representatives from MPEE, PO-PSM, line ministries, departments, and agencies as appropriate.