THE Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) and the Zanzibar Petroleum Regulatory Authority (ZPRA) have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing joint regulatory standards and capacity development in oil and gas sector, as the two institutions marked three years of collaboration under their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The milestone was celebrated in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday during a joint meeting convened to review progress made in implementing the MoU for the 2024/25 financial year. 

Signed in 2022, the MoU was designed to strengthen institutional cooperation between the two regulatory bodies across both mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

PURA director general, Eng. Charles Sangweni, described the partnership as a “model of regulatory synergy,” underscoring the steady growth in mutual understanding and technical collaboration between the two authorities.

“The implementation of the MoU has continued to mature each year, bringing about critical advancements in how we regulate upstream oil and gas activities,” Eng. Sangweni said.

The cooperation has enabled both institutions to jointly build regulatory capacity in key areas including petroleum data management, investment cost auditing, and the development of legal and policy frameworks governing the sector.

ZPRA’s Executive Director, Eng. Mohammed Said, noted that the MoU has played a transformative role in enhancing institutional competencies, particularly in a technically demanding industry such as upstream petroleum.

“These three years have yielded significant knowledge-sharing and practical training opportunities that have strengthened our institutional effectiveness. This has positioned us to better oversee petroleum exploration, development, and production in line with international standards,” he said.

Beyond technical skills, the partnership has also prioritised community inclusion and the development of mechanisms to facilitate citizen participation in upstream petroleum activities.

The authorities reaffirmed to continue deepening their collaboration, with the goal of creating a unified and robust regulatory environment that supports sustainable growth of Tanzania’s petroleum sector.

The two also pledged to explore new joint initiatives in research, environmental safeguards, and stakeholder engagement as part of their next phase of cooperation.