Greetings from Dar es Salaam

Hello from Dar es Salaam!

When I began studying economics in Marburg, I had no plans to move abroad afterwards. But I should have known it would happen: my father’s job took us abroad and I spent the first six years of my life in other countries, including Kenya.

Improving financial control functions together

And now I’m in Tanzania, where I have been managing a project since 2017. It assists the Government in collecting the taxes that are due. We focus mainly on the local level, as this is where most services are delivered to citizens – at the health centres, for example – so the municipalities need more financial scope. We are also working with our partners to improve financial control functions and ensure that revenues are utilised for their intended purpose. We work with internal auditors, the National Audit Office and civil society. Strengthening audit capacities and critical voices is not always popular, but I am pleased to say that our partners are highly committed to the project.

I have been working for GIZ since 2014. In fact, while I was finishing my PhD, I began writing appraisals for GIZ, focusing on economic and employment policy and public finance. From 2014 until I moved to Tanzania, I was a public finance specialist in Eschborn.

Happy family in Tanzania

I feel at home in Tanzania, and my family like it here too, now that the turbulent first few months are behind us. My husband has taken a leave of absence from his professorship to look after the children. The two younger ones attend an international school. My eldest is still in Germany; she’s at university. We spend the weekends sailing, swimming and enjoying family time.

I have an excellent team of 16 very dynamic local and international experts. This is my first job in a leadership role and I am really enjoying it. Creating something together as a team is very important to me.

Kind regards,

Annette Mummert

published in akzente 2/18