PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has appointed Gilead Teri to head the newly formed Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) as director general.

Dr Moses Kusiluka, the chief secretary, said in a statement in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the move follows the recent enactment of the Investment and Special Economic Zones Act No. 6 of 2025.

The legislation merges the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) and the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) into a single, unified entity, TISEZA, a bold step in the country’s drive to streamline investment promotion.

Teri was serving as TIC executive director, overseeing reforms aimed at making Tanzania a more attractive destination for investment. His new role places him at the helm of a consolidated authority designed to offer a one-stop-shop for all substantial investments, local and foreign, the statement indicated.

TISEZA is expected to provide a more efficient and investor-friendly framework, reducing red tape and ensuring coordinated facilitation of investments, particularly in designated special economic zones. The merger seeks to harmonize overlapping mandates and capitalize on synergies between investment promotion and industrial zone development, it specified.

Before the merger, TIC was tasked with overseeing investment across all sectors of the economy, while EPZA focused on managing zones offering incentives to export-oriented firms. The consolidation is aimed at enhancing institutional efficiency and strategic delivery in line with the government’s economic growth agenda, it elaborated.

Analysts see Teri’s appointment as a vote of confidence in his leadership and experience in steering investment activities, with his new tasks focused on ensuring a seamless transition, operationalizing an altered legal framework in attracting capital, creating jobs and boosting productivity.

The merger of the two entities and its new head reflects policy efforts in pursuing reforms in the business environment and positioning Tanzania as a competitive investment destination in the region. TISEZA is expected to play a central role in realizing this vision by facilitating high-impact investments and accelerating industrial development, officials assert.

With global investors increasingly eyeing Africa for new opportunities, all eyes will now be on how TISEZA as a consolidated structure helps to transform the country’s investment landscape, they added.