Tanzania, May 22 -- Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is sharpening its economic contingency planning as rising instability in the Gulf continues to drive up fuel, freight and input costs, with policymakers warning that the external shock is already filtering through the economy and could intensify if disruptions persist.

Minister of State in the President's Office (Planning and Investment), Prof Kitila Mkumbo, said the shock was already embedded in key cost structures due to Tanzania's dependence on imported petroleum products and exposure to Gulf-linked supply routes.

"Tanzania, like many countries in East Africa, remains a net importer of petroleum products, with limited domestic refining capacity and no crude oil production," he said, noting ...