Dar es Salaam. The Office of the Treasury Registrar (OTR) on Monday, September 21, 2026, held discussions with Dr Akinwumi Adesina, a renowned Nigerian development economist and former President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) from 2015 to 2025, at the OTR offices in Dar es Salaam.
During the discussions, the OTR management team, led by the Treasury Registrar, Mr Nehemiah Mchechu, exchanged experiences and perspectives with Dr Adesina on the reforms and improvements needed in public entities and institutions to enhance their efficiency and contribution to economic development.
Mr Mchechu said his ambition is to see the Government, through OTR, generate more revenue from commercially oriented public entities than from regulatory authorities, whose primary role is to provide regulatory oversight and public services rather than generate profits and dividends.
He said he is also keen to see these entities operate efficiently, generate profits and consistently pay dividends, thereby increasing their contribution to national development.
“We want public institutions and entities that are commercially and financially viable. We want to see public entities and institutions reduce their dependence on subsidies,” said Mr Mchechu.
Building on the discussion, Dr Adesina said fundamental reforms and restructuring of commercially oriented public entities are critical to turning around their performance and improving their efficiency.
He said the focus should not be on the number of entities contributing to the Government Consolidated Fund, but rather on maximising the overall value and returns of the Government’s investment portfolio.
Dr Adesina said that for OTR to effectively manage 308 public entities and companies in which the Government holds minority interests, it is essential for the Office to have a strong human capital base with the skills, expertise and capacity required to manage such a portfolio effectively.
He further stressed that non-commercial public entities should be assessed based on the quality of services they provide, noting that not all public entities can be expected to meet commercial criteria.