Dodoma. The ministry of Water has entered formal discussions with a Chinese firm, Flowmovement Technology, to explore the possibility of domestic manufacturing of prepaid water meters.
The talks, held here in the city on January 26, 2026, were led by the ministry’s Assistant Director for Operations and Maintenance, Mr Mashaka Sitta.
The meeting marks a pivotal step in the government’s efforts to modernise utility billing and address long-standing challenges in the water sector.
Flowmovement Technology has proposed a comprehensive investment package that includes the establishment of a local manufacturing plant, which aims to reduce reliance on imported hardware while boosting the local industrial economy.
Beyond manufacturing, the Chinese firm intends to conduct extensive research into Tanzanian water sources to identify methods for reducing water loss and improve the overall efficiency of distribution networks.
This data-centric approach is designed to help the Ministry transition from traditional post-paid billing to a more precise digital system, potentially curbing the issue of non-revenue water caused by leaks or administrative inaccuracies.
The Tanzanian government has expressed a strong interest in the proposal, noting that the technology aligns with current national priorities for digital transformation.
However, Mr Sitta insisted that the technology be tailored to suit Tanzania’s unique geographical and climatic conditions.
The ministry has insisted that any hardware deployed must be resilient enough to operate effectively across the country’s diverse environments, from high-humidity coastal regions to more arid inland zones.
To protect the public interest, the government is currently developing a framework to ensure that the transition to prepaid systems remains affordable and environmentally sustainable.
These strategies will focus on maintaining fair water pricing and ensuring that the new technology serves to improve service reliability for all citizens while simultaneously strengthening the ministry’s revenue collection capabilities.
