Energy Minister Hon. Deogratius Ndejembi has called on the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) to develop concrete strategies to accelerate oil and natural gas exploration across the country.

Ndejembi made this call on November 24, 2025, in Dar es Salaam during a meeting with the PURA management.

During the meeting, Ndejembi said he expects PURA to intensify its efforts in developing and implementing strategies that will accelerate oil and gas exploration in the country, noting that such activities typically take a long time.

“I look forward to seeing PURA develop and implement strategies that will guide oil and natural gas exploration in various blocks, including Ruvu, Mkuranga, and Tanga; strategies that clearly outline what needs to be done for us to achieve the desired results,” said Ndejembi.

In line with this, Ndejembi urged PURA to continue offering impactful advice to the Ministry on ways to make the upstream petroleum investment environment more competitive and attractive, so that when the country moves to the fifth licensing round, the anticipated success can be realized.

“Before we go for the fifth licensing round, I expect PURA to advise the Ministry on the steps needed to create an investor-friendly environment while safeguarding our national interests. I expect that advice to come promptly so that we can achieve this,” Ndejembi emphasized.

Ndejembi also made it clear that successfully conducting the fifth round of block bidding will not only increase government revenue but also enable the Ministry to leave a positive mark on the sector.

For his part, PURA Director General Eng. Charles Sangweni, on behalf of the PURA management, thanked Minister Ndejembi and the entire Ministry leadership for taking the time to meet with PURA’s management team.

In addition, Sangweni assured that PURA will continue to execute its responsibilities effectively, contributing to the achievement of sectoral goals in line with Vision 2050.