The World Development Report (WDR) is the World Bank’s flagship annual publication, providing in-depth analysis of major global development challenges and how countries can address them through effective policies and institutions. It is published once a year. The latest WDR, released on 11 December 2025, emphasises that standards are not peripheral technicalities, but central drivers of industrial competitiveness, trade integration and economic transformation.
In industry, Tanzania should invest in modern laboratories and skilled inspectors, and maintain the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) as an internationally recognised certification body. This would enable firms—especially small and medium-sized enterprises—to demonstrate compliance with global standards such as ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), and sector-specific technical standards.
This approach aligns with the reality that much of global trade is governed by non-tariff measures related to product safety, labelling, environmental impact, and technical performance. Tanzania should therefore embed standards firmly within its trade and export strategy. This includes aligning national standards with internationally recognised benchmarks under the World Trade Organization’s Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreements. Doing so reduces the risk of Tanzanian exports being rejected abroad and increases predictability for exporters.
Regional integration offers a critical stepping stone. By actively harmonising standards within the East African Community (EAC) and other regional integration communities, Tanzania can expand access to regional markets while building experience with international norms. Harmonised standards reduce compliance costs for firms trading across borders and support the objectives of the WDR 2025 argument that standards work best when supported by strong institutions.
Moreover, TBS should consider equipping its zonal offices with state-of-the-art laboratories, rather than the current situation in which they function mainly as inspection, sample collection, and regulatory outposts.
At the firm level, Tanzania should promote progressive adoption of standards rather than imposing rigid requirements overnight. This reflects what WDR 2025 describes as the “adapt–align–author” pathway: countries should first adapt international standards to local conditions, then fully align as capabilities grow, and eventually participate in shaping standards in priority sectors.
For Tanzania, this means starting with basic quality and safety standards in manufacturing, agro-processing, construction, and light industry, while offering technical assistance, tax incentives and access to finance to help firms upgrade their processes. Standards should be viewed as tools for productivity improvement, not merely as compliance requirements or revenue-generating mechanisms.
In trade, standards now shape market access as much as tariffs once did. The majority of global trade is governed by standards-based requirements, a trend that will intensify under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Equally important is public–private collaboration. Standards are most effective when developed with input from industry associations, exporters, chambers of commerce, and technical professionals. TBS should institutionalise mechanisms for regular consultation with business associations such as CTI, TNCC, and TPSF.
Finally, Tanzania should invest in skills and awareness related to standards. Engineers, technicians, quality managers, and regulators must understand how standards are developed, applied and audited. Integrating standards education into technical and vocational training will help build a workforce capable of sustaining quality improvements over time.
